Revival
by Jaina Durron
Summary: Based on an unused plot line from Troy Denning, what if Invincible ended on a brighter note?
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Thanks to everyone who is bothering to check this new story of mine out! I'm really excited to show this to everyone! Before we start, I thought I'd explain how I came up with this story and to make sure I give credit where credit is due. This fic goes by the EU canon. It picks up near the end of Legacy of the Force: Invincible when Jaina Solo must defeat Darth Caedus. While planning this novel, author Troy Denning believed the series to be too dark and gloomy and made a suggestion for the end of the novel o brighten things up a bit. This story is my take on how things might have turnd out in that galaxy far, far away if Denning's idea had been used.

 _There's a cross on the side of the road_  
 _Where a mother lost her son_  
 _How could she know that the morning he left_  
 _Would be the last time she'd trade with him for a little more time_  
 _(so she could say she loved him one last time)_  
 _And hold him tight_  
 _But with life, we never know when we're coming up to the end of the road_  
 _So what do we do then_  
 _With tragedy around the bend_

-Superchick, _We Live_

* * *

Once an inquisitive, innocent boy, Jacen Solo was now no more than a set of memories too painful for his parents to remember. Now, that same boy was a man better known as Darth Caedus. As merciful as a hutt and forgiving as a Yuuzhan Vong, he was a very different man than he had once been. Like his grandfather before him, he held his own twisted beliefs, all his actions justified in his own eyes. He swept aside an arm and planets fell and crumbled at his will. Like Vader crushed Alderaan in his fist, Lord Caedus lit a lighter and held it above Kashyyyk, illuminating the forest world in unforgiving flames of fury. Then, his love for anyone extinguished save a young girl and her mother, he took any life he dare and used others.

So vanished Jacen Solo, a caring, loving, compassionate soul. However, with every death comes a revival . . .

* * *

 _From across the grashal, he could see the desperation- the fear- in Tahiri's eyes. He understood it. He felt it, too, but he couldn't stop. Not even for her. He had to keep going._

 _And even though it filled him with so much pain, he forced his next words to be stern, almost harsh. He snapped at her, "Do it! You need . . . " His ribs heaved and burned with every word he somehow managed. He continued, "To help Tekli. I'll be along."_

 _"Yes, Tahiri," he was aware of the small Chadra-Fan responding as she gently pulled at Tahiri before returning to Tesar's side. She slapped the Barabel, then, with a frown, reported, "Tesar is not responding. I cannot move him and work on him both."_

 _He could tell that she clearly didn't like the idea of leaving him, but Tahiri nodded to Tekli. She couldn't just refuse to help. A tear glimmered in her eye, but she blinked it back as she leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips. He anxiously waited for it, starved for it. He needed it. His eyes fluttered shut as he prepared himself._

 _But then Tahiri stopped, shaking her head. Startled, he stepped back, blinking. "No," Tahiri cried. "For that, you have to come back."_

 _So many doubts flooded his mind, but he forced his best smile as he promised her, "Soon, then."_

 _Tahiri repeated, "Soon. May the Force be with you."_

 _Then, she left him. And the weakness he was succumbing to returned to his attention and he drew upon the Force for strength. He started to run for the makeshift doorway. It was slow and painful, but he drew heavily upon the Force that he could still get back up even when he dropped to a knee twice._

 _He passed Yuuzhan Vong warrior after warrior. Somehow, he held them off, slew them. At one, he threw his blaster. He bent to retrieve it, then stood. But not without dropping his head to throw up a pool of blood._

 _He couldn't stop._

 _The Force kept him strong and he continued to draw upon it as he lifted himself back up and kept running. He drew a thermal detonator from his belt just as a seemingly recognizable figure drew near. "Lowie?" he called out, but he only felt the hazy presence of another warrior. "Impostor!" he yelled. "Trying for pens."_

 _Somewhere far behind him, Jaina yelled for a charge._

 _He couldn't stop._

 _He opened himself completely to the Force. He became one, grabbing ahold of the power and pouring it into himself, finding the energy to fill every cell and fiber in his being. With love. It was with all the love he felt for his family and friends that he found the strength. He thought of his parents, perhaps back at Eclipse, or on the Falcon. But he imagined them together and he grabbed ahold of that image. He thought of his uncle and aunt and even his little cousin who would be with them. He thought of his siblings who were back with the rest of the group, still fighting, still going, still yelling out to him._

 _He couldn't stop._

 _He thought of his friends; the ones here with him and others far away. He thought of how hard they were fighting, how battle-weary and afraid they were. He wished he could encourage them._

 _He thought of Tahiri. He thought of the last years he'd known her, of their early friendship and its beginnings on Yavin IV, of the awkwardness that had settled in when he'd returned to Yavin not so long ago. He thought of of how they'd resolved that, of what things seemed to mean between them and how much more had come to be since their reunion and the memories they'd shared together since. Of the time and feelings between them that had become so much more._

 _He couldn't stop._

 _Now, he noticed, his injuries no longer pained him. He was one with the Force and he used that extra energy and power to defeat all the warriors he passed. His aura shone brighter than Tatooine's twin suns and he was dimly aware of this. He kept going. A throng of warriors surrounded him, waiting for their chance. Razor bugs swarmed him and he threw his lightsaber into zigzag motions in an attempt to get them away. While he was distracted with them, a hard hit was delivered to his thigh and he groaned in crippling pain at the blow. In response, though, he kept fighting._

 _He couldn't stop._

 _Still behind him, Jaina cried out his name, but it so closely resembled a desperate scream._

 _He was crowded by Vong, attacking from all sides. Jaina and Jacen were nearby, watching. Both of their faces were wet with tears and he sent them away._

 _He couldn't stop._

 _Another slew of Yuuzhan vong warriors herded around him and he did his best to fend off the attacks. Three amphistaffs pierced him, sending poison racing for his blood, but the Force cleared it from his system immediately. Another amphistaff caught him in the side and he roared with pain, but kept fighting. He pushed back and defeated more warriors._

 _Then, he saw him. Nom Anor came, entering through the doorway. He lumbered forward, his mouth twisted in a sneer as he surveyed the scattered team of Jedi Knights. He, himself, could have smiled if it didn't hurt so kriffing bad._

 _Sending his last reassurances to his team, to his friends, to his siblings, he gave one last push in his own fight. He threw his detonator across the grashal. Nom Anor's gaze followed it and he nudged the silver sphere, sending it away from the executor. His aura dimmed to a faint glow, flickering to near nonexistence. The fire inside of him was dying now, and he knew it was time. As Nom Anor continued to rush for the detonator, he shoved it again. Nom Anor cursed._

 _But he didn't hear it._

* * *

Jaina's lungs filled with fire as she heaved for another breath. The exhaust fumes being released across the biodisposal room certainly didn't help. She coughed, uselessly swinging an arm at the rolls of steam.

Across the chamber stood a dark man. Darth Caedus had- since their last fight- replaced his arm. He wore a prosthetics now, disguised in a long, black glove to match his dark cloaks and pants and glossy, black boots. Except, they weren't so glossy anymore as they were smeared in both his and her scarlet blood.

Jaina's body was tense, burning- well, her hair literally was burning- and every muscle in her body ached and screamed in protest. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep going, but she knew she couldn't stop until she stopped Caedus. And there was only one way to do that.

Caedus's blade came suddenly slashing forward, but Jaina had anticipated it and she was quick to throw up her own blade to block the blow. She pushed back and their blades locked in their own war, fighting for leverage, fighting for the upper winning hand. Realizing she couldn't win out, Jaina drew back her lightsaber and spun away, completing a full twirl before spinning her violet blade around her body. She angled her blade to cut across Caedus's midsection, but, in a less graceful move, he stomped around and shoved her back with a Force shove. Jaina felt like her ribs were just about to collapse on her. Or, what of her ribs were still holding out. Subconsciously, she touched a hand to her chest before she forced herself back up, groaning with the effort. Crushed durasteel had formed around her with the pressure of Caedus's power. Jaina pushed back to pull herself out of the indent. A few shrapnel bits, however, stuck to her, some stuck in her back and shoulders.

"We don't have time for this!" Caedus's voice boomed from across the room. To his side, fresh fires burned from the biodisposal pit. The flames framed his silhouette, crackling to the sound of his heavy footsteps. He was losing strength too.

Rising to her feet, Jaina yelled at him, "Then die already!" With a snap, her bladed was reignited and she came rushing at Caedus. His hand rose and from his palm and fingertips sprang jolts of Force lightning. She caught the forks on her blade.

"You don't understand!" he screamed at her. His murky yellow eyes flared with fury and he raised his other hand to join the first.

Jaina rolled out of the way. On the trip, she used her weapon to cut down a support beam and it fell with a heavy, echoing thud before Caedus, but the Sith Lord seemed unaffected as he continued following her about the long, empty room.

" _I_ don't understand?!" Jaina exploded. But while fury thrummed in her chest, sadness also constricted her heart. She felt the stinging threat of tears just behind her eyes and she blinked them back. She didn't have the time for that now. "No! Don't you _dare_ try to sell me that bantha fodder! We both know what's happened and why I'm here. So, how about you rethink that. _You_ don't understand. You must not because you won't stop. You won't stop hurting Mom and Dad!"

She knew that she couldn't let herself think of this man before her as her as even her _lost_ brother. For if she did, she would never be able to end this. But maybe she could guilt him. Maybe, she would be able to reach and touch the shred of humanity that he had left- this little sliver that belonged to Tenel Ka and Allana. There had to be room enough for her and her parents. Or, she hoped. However futilely.

"Don't you care about that? Mom? Dad?" She screamed across the chamber at him, "They've given up on you! They've lost all hope! You're dead to them!"

"Good." His lip twitched. "Because they're dead to me." He rounded on her and drew up his sword. Their weapons clashed in a fury of sparks and sizzling. Their blades were forced higher and higher above their heads and Jaina struggled to keep up. She was too short for this- thanks to her mom. Caedus was just taller enough that he won, but let her stay in the fight as a distraction so he could raise a knee and crush it into her stomach. Jaina gasped, falling steps back. She caught her own feet and forced herself to stand tall. Above her head, she carried her lightsaber proudly. "You aren't meant to win this one," she warned Caedus.

His eyes flared once again. "I don't need to. I just need to stop you and the Moffs."

"The Moffs?

But Caedus provided no explanation as he sneered at her and brought his lightsaber back clashing down at her.

* * *

Han had been spending the last hour or so watching Leia, anticipating The Look. He knew it was to come. He knew it was inevitable. He just hoped and prayed when she got it- it wouldn't be their daughter.

Of course, he hadn't wanted to let his daughter, his only remaining child run off to face against Darth Caedus. He'd liked it no more than he'd liked allowing his son Anakin's plan- the one that had sent him to his death. But- like he had then, when forced to watch his child leave to never see him with his eyes open again- Han forced himself to remember that his _child_ was right. And it was their destiny and he was just their dumb father.

Leia seemed just as anxious and nervous as he. Her hands worked quickly as she tried to distract herself from the same pain and fear Han was experiencing. He wished he could numb it for her, but that wouldn't help either of them. Eventually, they would have to face the pain together.

Leia's hands shook as she worked feverishly. Han just wanted to seize her hand and hold it, crush it in his, and keep it still.

It wasn't until Leia's nervous twitching paused and she turned to look at him that Han realized he actually had taken her hand. Her face was pale, but she managed the smallest, faintest smile as she squeezed back. She took a long breath and rested her head against his shoulder. Neither of them said a single word. They didn't need to.

* * *

Caedus was losing the perseverance, he was losing the strength and he couldn't afford that. He needed to do something and fast. He needed to bring about a quick end to this before Jaina did. He needed to stop her. He'd enjoyed showing off his new Force tricks to the Solos and Skywalkers. He'd enjoyed watching them fumble about; lost, confused, fearful. He'd taught them plenty and he still had a couple tricks up his sleeves. He had tricks that they would never think of or anticipate. He had tricks that would shatter them. And he knew the perfect one to use right now.

What he needed wasn't an overwhelming Force shove or some fancy technique like shatterpoint. No, he knew something even better. Something that would rock Jaina to her core. Something that would torture Jaina and leave her crippled. Something that would hurt her worse than her current burns and broken ribs and singed hair. Much worse. And its effect was guaranteed.

The Force was like one long chain of life. It connected and flowed through the past and the eternal future. It binded history together; every planet to ever hold life, every war to have been fought, every person to have lived. It all existed somewhere along the Force's endless line of existence. And somewhere along the chain were a set of memories that Caedus had boxed away and sworn to never dwell on again. But he had to go back now. He had to open the box and revisit the end of Jacen Solo's youth. He had to revisit some of Jacen Solo's worst memories. Which also happened to be some of Jaina's worst.

Caedus felt his way along the timeline of the Force until he came across what he was looking for. He found the place to which he'd been visiting often lately with Tahiri. Biting back his own disgust, Caedus found the Jedi Knights' mission to Myrkr during the Yuuzhan Vong War. He found the young Jedi Knight who'd been famed to take over the Jedi Order and become the next Luke Skywalker- until his untimely death at the hands of a swarm of Vong warriors. Caedus reached back, put himself in the moment, and saw Anakin Solo as he fought off an onslaught of warriors. He saw Jaina watching him, her dirt-caked face wet with tears. She screamed at her little brother, but he- being oh, so heroic- pressed on. And Caedus, standing so near to the young man, snagged that image of the mortally stricken Anakin Solo and pulled him to the end of the Force where Jaina Solo and Darth Caedus of 41 ABY were.

* * *

 _Go back._

 _There was now a man at the end of the grashal, near the doorway. It was a dark figure and he stood there, yelling incomprehensible words. He shook his raised fists in anger, then screamed one name above the roar of the battle between the Jedi Knights and the Yuuzhan Vong._ "ALLANA!"

 _But he seemed to be the only one to notice any of this. Then, the dark man looked at him, his eyes gleaming murky yellow in the dim light. His eyes were full of overwhelming hatred and fury and he snarled at him before his own stomach twisted and turned and his heart beat violently in his chest and the screams of his friends across the grashal became all he heard before completely disappearing so suddenly. And a sharp noise filled his ears before it all stopped at once-_

* * *

The energy of the duel had been replaced by a whirling maelstrom in the biodisposal room. It caught Jaina buy surprise as some kind of wind suddenly came to be and whipped at Jaina's skin and her hair and she fell to the floor and covered her head to shield herself. Her ears roared with the tearing of the violent winds. She was sure this had to be some trick of Caedus's, but she didn't know what else she could do in the middle of this storm. The storm blew over her, biting at her, so she stayed low. She held onto the Force for strength and drew it to her in hopes of recovering as much as she could before she had to return to the fight. But the maelstrom lasted for less than a minute and it died as suddenly as it had come to be. Jaina hurried to pick herself up, but struggled to stand. Her gaze darted around as she searched for Caedus, but he was nowhere to be found.

The room was oddly peaceful.

But something still wasn't quite right, Jaina could tell.

Somebody else was still in here with her.

Across the room, she found a crumpled form. She focused her gaze, but couldn't see well. Slowly, cautiously, she reached out through the Force. It wasn't Caedus; she could feel the body's living presence. But it was still eerily familiar. It felt like- No, she didn't want to think about what it felt like. That was too painful. She swallowed hard over a dry throat, then started forward on all fours. Her ragged breaths were loud as they echoed and she groaned with every tremor that was sent across her ribs. But she continued on, groaning and grimacing and panting. She finally reached the form and she dragged herself to the side of the body. She leaned over the person. He was lying face down. Jaina reached her hands underneath his stomach, then flipped him over. She fell back for a moment, her heart pounding and her breaths wheezing. Her hands came away bloody, she noticed. So, then she hurried back to his side. She ran a hand up his side before she reached his face.

* * *

Her spine straightened, posture erect as the sensation hit her. She couldn't explain why it came to her at that moment, but it hit Leia like a whip behind the knees. She gasped, throwing her body forward as the sensation of his presence filled her mind. All external awareness left her and that feeling became the center of her eye.

 _ **Her** hand flew to her stomach, alarmed. For the longest second, all she could think about was the timing and it was so soon and the twins weren't even a year old and what would Han think._

 _And then she laughed because she'd forgotten how happy this made her._

 _ **She** told Han with an overjoyed smile. And he knew right away because he'd only seen that smile on her once before. Maybe the timing wasn't the most impeccable, but Han could hardly care when he thought about having another child with his wife._

 _ **He** came earlier than Leia would have preferred. Much too early. But she held him to her chest, lovingly stroking his head while Han flashed her tearful smiles in between speeding across the hoverlanes to the medcenter._

 _ **Leia** took her time walking to the boys' room as her Mother Sense directed her. She turned the corner and peered into the room. Sure enough, he sat there, in the middle of a mess of his siblings lunches and half the room's toys. She sighed, then began tiptoeing her way to the center of the room. She picked her little boy up in her arms and cooed to him, "Guess who's going to take a bath now?" Leia kept finding him in the middle of these huge messes far too often for her liking._

 _ **She** felt his fear before she and Han heard his whimpering from the living room. They traded a look before Leia got up and hurried to his room. He'd buried himself under all his blankets and the little mound shook with his sobs. "Hey, buddy," she soothed as she came over and carefully peeled back the layers. When she uncovered him, his hair was back to its usual tousled mess. She brushed her fingers through it- not to straighten the hairs out, though. Her little boy hurried into her lap and she embraced him, holding him close to her. "Don't tell me it's another wretched nightmare."_

 _"I don't want to be like Vader," he cried into her chest._

 _His words hit her square in her heart and she shook her head, rocking him in her arms as she bent her neck to drop a tender kiss on his head. "Oh, no, honey! You won't. It was just a nightmare. You don't need to worry about it. Daddy and I won't let anything happen to you."_

 _"But what if you and Daddy can't stop me?"_

 _Leia- her heart filled with anger at Vader for leaving this shadow over her son, but anger at herself, too, for hanging the burden over him. She cried while she held him, shaking her head in earnest. "No, honey. That will never happen. You could never be anything like that monster."_

 _"But you and Daddy always say that I'm a troublemaker."_

 _"We don't mean it like that!" She sat him up and took his face between her hands so his bright blue eyes were glued to hers. "Don't you dare ever think that Daddy and I think you're bad like that. You're too_ good _, baby. You're too kind and generous and selfless. You're just too_ good."

 _ **"I** placed quite a burden on [him], didn't I, by giving him that name." But while the guilt tugged on her, Leia found that she could not bring herself to regret it. She'd had reason behind her choice and she still firmly believed in her reasons to this day. Something about it had just always felt right- and it still did._

 _Elegos A'Kla, a Caamasi senator, smiled encouragingly at her. "He is strong enough to accept that burden, Leia. He has you and the Jedi to sustain him."_

 _ **They** were ready to leave, ready to run off and head straight into the face of danger. It twisted at Leia's heart and she cursed herself for raising such stubborn, selfless kids. "Hey!" she called out to Jaina and pointed to the ground. "Come back here and give me a hug." Her daughter smiled and fell into her arms. Leia added quietly, "And promise me you'll come back."_

 _Jaina pushed herself back and nodded curtly. "I promise I'll come back."_

 _Jacen took his turn and nodded, but didn't smile. Then, he kissed Leia's cheek and promised her, "I'll try to come back."_

 _Then, there was her baby boy. He embraced her before she could take him in. She smiled. He kissed her cheek, then stepped back. "It's cruel to make such a promise," he said simply._

 _Stinging tears filling her eyes, Leia nodded. "I know it is. I just like to hear it."_

 _He shook his head and kissed her cheek again. "I love you, Mom."_

 _Before he could walk away, she pulled him in for another hug and nodded. "I love you too, baby. I'm proud of you, you know. Your dad and I both are. We just don't like the idea-"_

 _"I know, Mom. I don't either, but-"_

 _"But my babies are growing up and they're becoming fine adults I'm proud to call mine." She smiled softly and nodded. "Now, go. Save the galaxy."_

 _He chuckled, then hugged his father who stood at Leia's side. "Take care of Mom," he told Han, then joined his siblings and the rest of the strike team and left Eclipse base far behind._

Leia gasped, not sure why she did, then unbuckled herself from the copilot's chair and hurried for the refresher. "Leia!" Han called after her. She found herself before the sink and rinsed her face, trying to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. _You're about to lose another one,_ a wicked voice taunted in her mind and Leia couldn't stop the tears this time. _Any moment now. And then there was one._

* * *

Long tendrils of light brown, dirty hair fell over the face and Jaina swept them aside to take a look.


	2. Chapter 2

Outside the Jedi base on Shedu Maad, Ben Skywalker, with Tenel Ka's cousins, was watching the battle rage on as boring as it was. The crew of the _Anakin Solo_ hadn't been expecting an attack at this moment. Ben didn't doubt Caedus's overconfidence in their victory had a very large part to do with it. The Moffs and the _Anakin Solo'_ screw had all been caught off guard when the Jedi had started raiding with StealthXs and invaded their territory. Immediately, nearly all of Caedus's forces had surrendered. Once all their forces had been disabled, he'd been anxious to find Tahiri, gently confront her. He was sure she could be turned back, perhaps she even wanted to. She just needed to be shown that his family, and the Jedi Order, would be eager to welcome her back.

It had been too easy for Caedus to bend the woman to his will. He'd used her vulnerabilities pertaining to her late friend and bent her like copper with a thousand meaningless promises. And that was all he'd ever had to do. At the sound of his name, Tahiri was hooked and the dark side had taken her under her own waves of misery, burnt her fire, clouded her vision. Caedus had sucked up her use, then dropped her back to the side like a dead, withered flower.

Caedus had used the name, memory, and face of the younger Solo son; it made Ben sick to think back on the last year. Tahiri had never deserved this, but Caedus had never cared and what had been done was done. Now, Ben only hoped to help Tahiri out of the whirlpool she'd been dragged into.

Ben had finally found a chance to redeem the poor woman, had seen the true Tahiri Veila in her cry out for mercy. She wasn't cut out to be a Sith. The lightsaber just didn't fit. He remembered watching as Tahiri tortured Shevu, always careful not to take it too far. And when the officer had died, Ben had seen the turmoil in Tahiri surface without a guard, guilt and horror at herself washing over like a sudden alarm. She'd been horrified, dismayed, ultimately guilty for having killed Lon Shevu. That was a redeemable person.

He recalled Tenel Ka saying something about, if a person was to turn back from the dark side, they must first want to be redeemed. Ben had no doubt in his mind that Tahiri wanted to be redeemed, that she knew all this was very wrong. Dressed in those black and gray GAG uniforms, wearing a red-bladed lightsaber at her hip, she looked uncomfortable, ashamed, like she'd tried a few sizes but none of them fit. Tahiri was not a Sith. She never had been. Even Caedus hadn't been strong enough to break that part of the fierce woman. She was a Jedi at heart.

"I'll keep the troopers out," he heard Taryn, the more flirty of the two Hapan twin sisters, say as she tossed Ben a large blaster. He saw Tahiri, panicked, her face red, watching him for a second before turning and running like she expected him to shoot her. Although, that was what Taryn and Trista were waiting for. He fired around her, trying to get her to stop but she wouldn't. Nimble on her feet, she dodged other shots from the Hapans and ran from them all without even one more glance back. "Tahiri!" he shouted, trying to get her attention. "Tahiri!" Still, she didn't stop, racing across a mine shaft where some of the other Hapan guards were staying posted. "Tahiri! You don't need to run! Just come back to the Order!" Her blonde hair flew behind her like a flag, floating in the wind she made as she continued her pointless race.

Ben caught Tahiri running past the closest mine shaft, finally looking, and now constantly, past her shoulder to _him_. _She's running from_ me, he realized. Guilt had Tahiri Veila consumed, eating at her like she was only a rotting carcass, already dead. She was so ashamed, Ben knew he had to make her see that she was welcome back anytime she wanted, she just had to stop.

A flicker of danger sense shot up his spine and Ben, not yet understanding looked to one of the mine shafts. He saw the blue, slick outfit of a Hapan Royal guard just as her black, heavy-duty blaster assault rifle fired.

* * *

Jaina hardly had the strength to sound her gasp. The eyes were closed, but Jaina still recognized the face of her little brother. Though her mind was scattered in confusion, she forced herself to have half a clear head and she ran a quick analysis of his wounds. It worked as a decent distraction, busying herself with something else to focus on. But, after a brief glance over, Jaina was left feeling even more confused and terrified than before. The dead weight body in her lap bore two significant wounds, though his body was covered in blood and bruises; one was an injury to a thigh and the other to his side. _Baanu Rass! Baanu Rass! Baanu Rass!_ Her mind screamed and the tears she'd been holding in for _so long_ finally fell.

Finally, she allowed herself to say it. "Anakin."

* * *

Master Kyp Durron led the team of Jedi Masters from the Council as they raided the Moffs' main chamber. Saba, Corran, and Kyle all followed close behind. The Moffs stood straight up in their chairs, trying, and failing, to hide their shock and fear. They traded a few nervous looks with each other but most kept looking to a tall one with gray, thin hair and a sharp chin and nose. The man gave a quick nod and turned his attention back to the Jedi. Han and Jagged Fel entered the chamber a couple seconds later and Han demanded, carelessly waving his blaster around at all the Moffs, "Whose idea was it to sneak the nanokiller aboard Tenel ka's flagship?" Han found a suspect who looked the most frightened and pressed his blaster to the Moff's head. "What's your name? Was it your idea?"

The tall, gray Moff stood and looked dispassionately to his peers. "What do you care? My 'friends' have appointed me to take the blame. So, go ahead- if you must."

Han almost shot the guy right then and there and just about every other Moff in the room, too. But, Luke wouldn't have allowed that. Against Han's advice, Luke and Jagged had coordinated a deal with them as opposed to sending them to live the rest of their lives as prisoners of war in the Hapes Cluster. Killing the Chume'da was a crime that the Hapan people would not so easily forgive.

"Well, how many do you think it would take?" Luke asked, eyeing Han's favorite blaster.

Han looked around the room at all the people responsible for killing Allana with a bit of annoyance. "Probably more than you can spare." After reaching the conclusion that he would never get the chance to kill his granddaughter's killers, Han sighed, dropping his DL-44 into its proper holster.

Tenel Ka, the esteemed Hapan Queen Mother, joined them in their negotiations, adding to the Moffs' unease as they had just killed her daughter. After they were done, Tenel Ka quickly left, motioning for Han to join her. "Come with me, Captain Solo. There is something I really must tell you."

* * *

By the time Jag came hurrying in, Jaina had given up on moving. She'd tried to begin healing the wounds of the body lying beside her, but she didn't have the energy to help herself. Jag cast one disgusted look at the body before he turned his attention to Jaina. "You did it," he praised her and the comment settled in Jaina's stomach about as well as spoiled milk.

One of the body's arms was sprawled out, lying near Jaina. Jag didn't like it and he kicked it aside.

"No!" Jaina yelled and the effort sent waves of pain up her ribs and throat.

"Relax," Jag told her, touching a hand to her side. She yowled in pain. "We're here. It's over." He gingerly lifted her arm and grimaced. "If you lasted this long, I'd love to see what you put him through." He cast a glance over his shoulder.

Jaina shook her head. "That's . . . not Caedus."

"What?"

"Oh, Jaina!"

She rolled her head over to see both of her parents hurrying in. Their composures were already broken as they struggled to keep their gazes on her. Leia's face was pale and her shoulders shook and her lips trembled. Her father seemed to be holding up stronger. Jaina figured it was for her mother's sake.

They collapsed at her side, Leia already rushing to comfort her despite her own brokenness. She brushed a hand through Jaina's hair and gently settled on her burned arm before pulling off her medpac and opening it. Han gave her one look before digging into Leia's medpac and pulling out sterinumb and bacta bandages. He was wholly occupied with tending to her and Jaina let him be because she didn't know what to say about the broken body lying beside her. They must've thought it was Jacen's body because Han, Leia, and Luke avoided looking at it like the Crimson Fever. But she caught it the moment that her mom's gaze slipped to the body and a look of terrified confusion crossed her face and no matter how hard she tried- she just couldn't shake it. She forced herself to look away, focusing her attention o helping Jaina.

"No, Mom," she managed, pushing Leia's hand away from her. "Trust the Force. Don't ignore . . . what . . . what it tells you."

Leia held her gaze for a long moment, her lip trembling violently. Her head fell to the side and a breath escaped her. Jaina nodded and Leia nearly collapsed. But she found the strength to gather herself and hurried for the body across from Jaina.

"Leia!" Han yelled, reaching behind him to catch his wife's arm but she was moving too quickly. "Leia, stop!"

Harsher than she meant to, Leia pushed his arm back with a quick touch of the Force and she hurried to gather the body in her arms. She held the head in her lap and brushed aside the long, sweaty, bloody ringlets-

And there he was.

* * *

Tahiri Veila spun with the force of the laserfire. She fell to the ground, leaves crunching beneath her. Fear and pain both demanded her attention, racking her senses. She pushed herself up and looked for the wound. Her thigh bled freely from the shot and she cried out in pain. More laserfire sounded around her. She shot to her feet and raced off, but stumbled with the effort, kept going anyway, fought to remain conscious, fought to keep running. The strayed Jedi Knight tripped on the ground and fell again. Footsteps sounded behind her, hurrying, drawing closer, closer, closer. Looking back, Tahiri saw Ben. "No," she muttered, uneasily getting to her feet again. She held onto anything she could for support and tottered away on shaky legs. "No. Must go. Keep . . . going, Tahiri. Keep going," she encouraged herself, still trying despite her current self-hatred.

"Tahiri!" Ben shouted from behind her. "Tahiri, wait! I'm here to help you! Tahiri, the Order is waiting for you to come back!"

She stopped, too weak to go on. "No, Ben. I can't. I betrayed them."

"So did I. They still care about me."

"You're . . . Grand Master's son. They kinda' have to."

"Then they're going to kinda' have to welcome you back too because my Dad wants you to come back."

Tahiri shook her head, the effects of blood loss taking its toll on her. "Can't. Betrayed Anakin. Betrayed family. All family I have. Solos. Tried killing . . . Mom. Leia doesn't . . . deserve that."

"Neither do you," Ben added, picking up Tahiri in his arms and carrying her to the Jedi's base. "Now, let's get you out of here before Tenel Ka's guards kill you. Aunt Leia wants you back in one piece."

* * *

 **Please don't be afraid of that review box below. I promise it doesn't bite. Unless it's hungry. So, please feed it.**


	3. Chapter 3

When he entered the lobby area just outside the Shedu Maad base's medical ward, his sister was so pale, Luke was sure she was going to faint. But her rocking, pacing, twitching and shaking persisted. He was already getting a headache from watching her and looked to Han to do something, but his brother-in-law was in his own state of shock. Unlike Leia, he sat, but he rocked back and forth, holding his head between both hands. Luke didn't know what to say, so he walked up to Leia and told her, "Jaina will be just fine," he assured them.

The two finally ceased their nervous habits. Leia straightened and gave him a quizzical look before turning to her husband. Han opened his arms to his wife and she willingly fell into his embrace. "It's not Jaina we're worried about," Han began to explain and Leia turned her face into his shoulder. He held her closer.

"What's happened?" Luke asked, but Leia and Han were both in their own little world.

"Is this real?" Leia asked her husband.

Han held her gaze, his eyes soft and gentle while he stroked her cheek with a thumb. "Do you want it to be?"

Leia didn't respond immediately. She gave a small nod as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. "More than anything. I just don't know what to think about it."  
Han nodded, leaving a tender kiss on her forehead.

"What's going on?" Luke asked again. "Jaina is okay, isn't she?"

Now sitting in Han's lap, Leia looked to her brother and nodded. "Cilghal assured us she'll be just fine. But something happened during her duel against Caedus. We aren't very sure what happened."

"Well, what do you mean you're not sure what happened? You said something happened-?"

"I-" Leia shook her head, but broke off. "I can't. I can't explain it, Luke." Her face broke into a joyful smile. "I don't know how it happened or if this is all just a dream, but something wonderful has happened and it's not something I can just tell you. I think it will be better to show you."

Luke noticed Han's grip around Leia tighten and she smiled faintly, resting her head against his shoulder. Luke had grown accustomed to the closeness they shared, how dramatically their relationship had shifted since Chewbacca's death and how they had recovered together, becoming so much closer than they had ever been. But now, Luke sensed a sort of closeness on a level they hadn't before reached. There was something going on- something the two knew about that Han was comforting her for. And for the umpteenth time in his life, Luke envied his two best friends.

Luke didn't know what to say. He didn't want to ask, _'but everything's okay, right?'_ because Jacen- or, his body- was dead and Luke could feel the war raging in his sister. Relief fighting grief a hundred times over. He tried to keep his own thoughts at relief that his niece would be just fine despite the injuries she'd sustained. He feared that if he thought too much about Caedus's demise, he would be _too_ relieved. So, whenever his thoughts did turn that way, he chose to mourn Jacen who had died so shortly after Anakin.

Luke settled into a chair across the waiting area from Leia and Han. He watched them, watched their silent bonding as Han comforted Leia's fears and she held onto him because she knew he was breaking too. It was quiet for a long time before Tekli came out and told the Solos that they could see their daughter. Both were eager to, but Leia glanced at Luke and urged him to come with.

Jaina was reclining in a medbunk. Luke could have gasped aloud at the sight of his niece; most of her exposed flesh was covered in a quick-dry bacta gel and a brace was wrapped around her neck. Then, there was a line of stitching that ran close to her scalp that made Luke cringe. Her eyes were dark, swallowed by blue circles. And her face was so ashen and her lips so dry and cracked. But she offered him a faint smile as he followed her parents in.

Leia and Han both took a side of the med bed and stood right beside her. Leia took her hands and cried in relief that her daughter was okay. Han stroked her head, telling her over and over how grateful he was. But Luke could still tell how hard it was on them.

"Cilghal told us that you'll be able to make a full recovery and it shouldn't take very long," Leia told Jaina. "How do you feel right now?"

"I've been better," she quietly remarked. Leia nodded, holding both of her daughter's hands between her own and silently weeping over them.

Luke slowly came to his sister's side. He reached over and gently squeezed Jaina's shoulder. She sent him a reassuring touch back through the Force and he smiled for her sake.

"Mom," Jaina croaked and Leia leaned over her. "Yes, honey?" Jaina whispered something in her mother's ear and Leia's face returned to its pale palette.

Luke bit back a sigh.

Leia's glance flicked his way and Luke- having no idea what this could possibly be about- decided that all he could do was offer his support, so he tried to convey as much of it as he could when he held her gaze. Her gaze was so sad, though, and they turned to glass before she ducked her head again and quietly responded to Jaina. Then, Jaina spoke aloud. "It's okay. You can go without me. Go." She took her mother's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Check on him."

Leia shook her head, giving a sad laugh. "We don't even know if this is real!"

"I believe it's real. Is that not enough? If this is only some sad dream we're living, then that's nothing new. But if it's real-"

"I don't know that I want to think about if it's real," Leia admitted.

"Why not?"

She swallowed. "Because I don't think I can handle that."

Jaina quirked her lips. "Don't worry. We still have to get there, first."

Leia sat on that for a good several seconds before abruptly looking up at Han. He held his hand out to her, but she just threw herself into his arms. Naturally, he took her in.

Behind Luke, Tekli entered. She looked to the Solos and asked, "Would you like to see now? You can. If you want."

"Ready, Princess?" Han asked when Leia didn't come out of hiding in his chest. Softly she nodded. Han steered her for the door. On the way, Leia pulled Luke along and he cautiously followed.

* * *

A heavy silence hung across the room while Tekli finished wrapping up Tahiri's leg. Tahiri couldn't bear to look at Tekli, so her eyes watched the growing layers or bandages entomb her leg instead. She knew she ought to say something; Tekli was an old friend and she deserved Tahiri's recognition. Maybe, even an apology for discarding their friendship as she'd run off to chase Caedus's empty promises. Anyway, Tekli deserved something.

"Thank you," she managed. The Chadra-Fan did not look up right away, but Tahiri did see a smile grow on her mouth. "Dear friend," she smiled happily when she finally did look up, her work with the bandages finally done. "It's all I can do."

"But I appreciate it."

"Then, you are very welcome." She took out a small jar of a thick and sticky adhesive and began to apply it to the seams of the bandaged wrapping. "After all, you are a good friend, Tahiri."

She almost snorted aloud. "Hardly," she corrected.

"And why do you say that?"

Tahiri was left stunned. She blinked at Tekli. "What have I done in the last few years to call anyone a friend? I certainly haven't been much of a friend. I hurt my family. I betrayed them in the name of my dead love . . . I betrayed him too. By helping Caedus. All for what? I've broken trust with every friend I've ever had. Tekli, I haven't been much of a friend in years."

"Ah," the small creature considered. "But that isn't entirely your fault. Everyone knows that Caedus used you, that he used Anakin's name against you. The Solos know that. Master Skywalker and Ben both know that. The entire Order knows it. The entire Order knows what Anakin still means to you. That is why Caedus used him against you. It's not entirely your fault, Tahiri. You have been vulnerable to his name ever since he died. So, Caedus used that against you for his own purposes. Everyone knows that you weren't in your right mind while you were still under Caedus's influence, under the influence of Anakin's name.

"Besides all that, you're still my friend. Perhaps, you haven't always been a friend in these last years. But that isn't always the case. And when you are a friend, Tahiri, you are a good one."

Tahiri bit her cheek. "I'm still sorry."

Tekli nodded, getting up from her seat to put her jar away. "Good. Because then, you have a conscience. See this, Tahiri. I don't think you're all that bad of a person after all!"

Tahri couldn't stop her own laugh as she watched Tekli break into a grin. "Since when you did you get a sense of humor?" she demanded.

Tekli shrugged. "I've been told that laughter is the best medicine."

"And do you believe it?"

Tekli didn't hesitate before shaking her head. Her pointed ears folded over a little. "No; I believe love and kindness to be great for the soul, but I can't deny the works I've seen a little lightheartedness do."

Tahiri nodded in understanding.

"Tahiri?"

"Yes, Tekli?"

"Why are droid mechanics never lonely?"

Tahiri stiffened, but the smile that came to her own lips was inevitable. She rolled her eyes. "Because they're always making new friends."

"See?" Tekli grinned. "I've had Jacen's jokes stuck in my head all day. I've been waiting for the perfect moment to tell them, but I thought the Solos wouldn't appreciate that. I was a little worried you wouldn't like it."

"No," Tahiri shook her head. "I can handle it. After spending so much time with Caedus, I've become convinced that he is a body wholly separated from Jacen. Jacen must have died right after Anakin."

Tekli nodded sadly. "Yes, I think so. And that's what the Solos believe, too."

"How is Jaina? I'd heard that she was going to go after Caedus, but-"

"She did and she succeeded. Though, she's recovering from injuries. You know, she's here, too. If you need to talk to her."

"I don't know if I can do that yet."

"I understand. Though, I would suggest you gather up the courage. Once Leia gets wind that you're here, she won't waste any time before coming to see you."  
Tahiri chuckled. "I can imagine. Though, I don't deserve her forgiveness."

Tekli shrugged. "Try telling her that. You know, you _are_ a daughter to Han and Leia. And a sister to Jaina. They're going to forgive you without a second thought. The past will be forgotten in an instant. They've already forgiven you, Tahiri. They just want to help you."

"I take it they already know I'm back."

"They'll know in short time. Does that upset you?"

It didn't take Tahiri long to consider. She shook her head. "No. I miss them. And I think I owe them a long apology before they try to rope me back into the happy family picture."

"They need time to heal, too, Tahiri. They don't want to leave you by yourself to do that. They want you to be part of their family. So, let them and they'll help you. Then, they won't let anyone use Anakin's name against you ever again. They won't let anyone ever hurt you again."

Now, tears spilled down Tahiri's cheeks. With a smile, Tekli handed her a tissue. "How are Han and Leia?"

"As well as you could expect considering Jaina just killed Caedus. But I'm sure they would feel better if you talked to them."

* * *

"Something's happened," Leia told her brother. She could tell he didn't know what to make of that.

"Okay," he said with both fear and suspicion.

"And I need you."

He looked at her. "Lei, you know I'm always here."

"I know," she smiled faintly. "And that's why I'm bringing you with. I need you to help me. I need you to be with me."

"You have Han, too, you know."

"I know. But we both need you too."

Luke nodded in understanding. They hooked arms and Leia pulled him to her side, drawing Han against her other side. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "I don't know yet."

"Can I help?"

She shrugged. "Just- you'll see. I don't know what to do. Maybe, you'll be able to help once you see."

"But you won't tell me?"

All she could tell him was, "You'll see."

* * *

Tekli, Cilghal's apprentice, and assistant led them back to Cilghal's offices. The small Chadra-Fan was walking much faster than her usual pace, her short legs working up a sweat. The small creature had other tells, as well. Leia could sense her frantic mood and she knew it wasn't passing by Luke. Though his expression was as passive as ever, but he watched Tekli carefully.

Leia hardly had half a mind to watch her brother, however. She watched Tekli, hoping for some clue, some hint as to how the situation was. But all she had was Tekli's frantic nervousness and the way she seemed to become faster and faster the closer they came to Cilghal's medical ward rooms.

Her own heartbeat pounded harsher in her chest as her own anxiety consumed her. Once, she tried to hurry and copy Tekli in step, but Han held her back, trying to keep her anxieties at bay. "Relax," he muttered to her, though Leia could hear the panic in his own voice. In an odd way, it reassured her, then relaxed her just the slightest bit knowing Han was as tense as she was.

Tekli came to a dim hall where the first door's entry pad shone red with the words 'OCCUPIED'. She planted her hand flat against the pad and it _dinged_ with the recognition of her print, then the door slid open for them. Tekli led the three in.

The room was wide and spacious, dim glowpanels lighting the area. A tall, heavy curtain hid half of the room where Leia knew the bed was. Where he was. Her heart skipped a few beats. Without realizing it right away, she clutched onto Han more tightly. From her other side, she felt Luke cast a curious, confused glance her way, but she didn't acknowledge it.

Cilghal stood beside the curtain, taking notes on a datapad. Her chin turned up sharply as Han, Leia, and Luke entered and she burst into a flurry of motion as she waved them in, pushed a cart out of the way, gave a direction to Tekli, then stepped forward to meet with the Solos.

Leia stepped forward to meet the Calamarian as well, preparing to spit out several questions at once, but quickly found them locked in her chest. She couldn't get any of them out. They were stuck there, lodged in the back of her throat. Cilghal smiled softly at her. "I can't tell you that I know what happened. I really don't. I only know that it _is_ him."

Leia nodded. She'd already known that. As impossible as this was, she'd known right away that it was really him.

Now, she found her words. "Can we see him?"

Cilghal nodded. She reached up and pulled the curtain back, nodding the Solos and Luke forward.

Han's hand clamping on to hers, they approached the bed together. And there he was. There was her boy. Her baby boy who she hadn't seen in years. But he was here. He was hooked up to so many machines, but Leia only spared them a glance because one promised her that his heart was beating, pulsing with life. Another pronounced shallow breaths. But they were there and Leia rejoiced in it, tried to understand it.

His torn, burnt robes had been discarded, replaced by a pure white medical gown. Leia's gaze darted to his face. His hair was tangled and was filthy with dried mud and blood. His face was covered in soot, too, but either Tekli or Cilghal had wiped some of it off.

Leia fell into a chair at his side. She soaked in the image of her son there. She needed it to be real and tangible, so she thrust a hand through his hair and when she felt the stiff, greasy ends beneath her fingers, she began to sob over his body. She wished she could see his bright eyes, but Leia had to remind herself that this was him and that he was alive and it made her just content enough.

"I wish I could offer more reassuring promises," Cilghal said quietly as she crossed the room to the other side of the medbed. "However, I shouldn't."

Leia sucked in a breath.

"He's alive. Unfortunately, that's about all I can say. But I assure you, Jedi Solo, Tekli and I are doing everything we can."

"We trust you," Han said as he returned to his wife's side. Leia looked at him, almost startled by his words- or, rather, the fact that he was speaking at all. He came to sit with her but didn't meet her gaze. All he could look at was the body of his dead son lying before him. Leia understood so she let her own eyes return to the miracle sight before them.

Lying outside the tucked blankets, she found his hand and she took it to hold, pressing it against her cheek. It was warm with life; the feeling reassured her so, Leia broke out in more sobs.

"It's- Anakin," Luke managed. Leia had forgotten he was even there. She nodded, wiping at her tears with her free hand. "But how? Wh-?"

"He is gravely injured," Tekli spoke up as she stepped around Luke. "With the very same wounds I remember him having on Myrkr." Her hand hovered over his midsection for a moment before she peeled back the blankets to reveal his side which was heavily bandaged. "Amphistaff wounds to the side, thigh, broken ribs . . . " Tekli's brief report left Leia feeling queasy. Then she added, "And, of course, blood breath."

Leia frowned.

Tekli lightly tossed her small shoulders. "After a few years, Jaina started to talk more about the mission. She'd been watching Anakin until he-" She swallowed. "Died. She'd been watching him, dreading it. She'd seen what happened to him. Every injury. She told him he could hardly walk, but he couldn't stop either. He just kept going. He kept falling, but he kept running. I remember she said he threw up blood." She looked up and smiled softly at the parents. "But he couldn't stop."

Leia gave a bittersweet smile. "I knew he wouldn't make it easy."

Tekli shook her head in agreement. "No, he didn't."

Leia returned her full attention to her baby boy. A long tube was running through his mouth and it broke her heart, but she kept having to remind herself that he was alive. Soaking herself in the Force, she reveled in the familiar feel of her son on the Force. She wished she could help Han by letting him feel, too, but that kind of understanding was beyond him. So, she reached for his hand and put it on their son's head. When their gazes finally met again, he smiled at her. "We have him back, Han," she cried. "We have our little boy back."

Han softly kissed her forehead, then reached out to tousle their boy's hair.

Cilghal took in a loud breath. "Well, Tekli and I will leave you to have some time. I'll be checking on Jaina."

"Thank you, Master," Leia said to the Calamarian as she left with Tekli in tow.

"It's . . . Anakin," Luke marveled, still standing a distance away from the bed.

Leia smiled, running her hand from Anakin's hair to his cheek.

"How-?"

"I don't know," Leia laughed as Luke finally joined them. "All I care about is that it's real."

Luke could only nod. "It's just a lot at once."

Leia nodded. "We'll figure it out."

After a moment of quiet, Luke sighed. "Ben saw Tahiri."

Leia and Han both froze. "And?"

"And she's returned to the Order. She was shot by one of Tenel Ka's guards. She's here."

The Solos shared a look. "And how is she?" Leia asked cautiously.

Luke sat on the other side of the bed, stared at his nephew, and tried to make sense of it while he answered Leia. "Ben said she was feeling very guilty. She didn't believe that the Order would welcome her back. That we would."

"She feels remorse," Leia offered. "That means she really does want to come back."

"Which is good. Ben was trying to assure her that we would all welcome her back and that the past in the past and we won't fault her for what Caedus did to her. He told me he thinks she's afraid of facing us because of her guilt."

Leia melted in her seat. Han caught her eye and she nodded, knowing exactly what he was thinking because she was thinking it too. Han still said it aloud, though. "We should go talk to her. Soon." Leia nodded. She looked back down to Anakin. "We should." She cracked a little smile. "How is Tahiri going to take this?"

Glancing at the monitors hooked to his son, Han seemed to swallow a few words before starting again. "I don't know, sweetheart. I hardly know how to take this."

But his wife still sensed the unspoken there. She too risked a glance at the readouts. While each one of them still pronounced her long-dead son very much alive, Leia heeded Cilghal's warning. Anakin was gravely injured, mortally so, and a long recovery was ahead of him if he did make it.

Leia clenched her fists at that thought, forcing back her tears as she held her son's tangled hair back from his forehead and left a kiss there. _Please come back to me,_ she silently begged, hoping to commune the message to her boy as she pressed her forehead to his. _You have no idea how hard these years have been without you, my baby boy._


	4. Chapter 4

"Good morning, Tahiri," Tekli's friendly voice greeted when she entered Tahiri's room a couple days after the end of the second Galactic Civil War. Crossing the room, Tekli set a tray of food down on the counter, then opened the viewport just a little.

"Morning, Tekli," Tahiri responded.

"How does your leg feel?"

"Fine. I hardly notice the pain. Thank you, Tekli."

The Chadra-Fan smiled genuinely. "You are welcome, friend. Now, I must warn you, you'll have visitors today."

"Visitors? The Solos."

"Believe me, they are anxious to see you, but Master Skywalker wants to see you first. And the Solos are- a bit preoccupied right now." Moving to check Tahiri's wound, she smiled. "Are you excited to see the Solos?"

"I don't know if 'excited' is the word for it. I just know I owe them a long apology-"

"And Leia a hug. That's all she needs."

Tahiri nodded. "And I suppose Master Skywalker is stopping by to give me the traditional light side, dark side recovery speech?"

"Perhaps. Though, I know that he wants to be sure you're alright." Like a stern parent, Tekli held out a finger and pointed it accusingly at Tahiri. "No more trips to the dark side, missy."

Tahiri smiled at Tekli's uncharacteristic joking mood rather than the joke itself. "Trust me; I have no plans to ever go back."

"Good. Then, I should think that Master Skywalker's visit with you will pass quickly."

Tahiri and Tekli's gazes both flicked to the door only a few seconds after she said that. Tahiri dropped her eyes to her lap, trying to prepare herself.

"I guess he's already here," Tekli supplied.

Luke Skywalker knocked softly; Tekli called out the appropriate 'come in' and the Jedi Master then did so. Tahiri forced her gaze to find him as he entered and the man smiled gently at her, a small smile that gave her some comfort. "Hello, Miss Veila," he said.

 _Oh, how times have changed,_ Tahiri thought with a bit of remorse. He should be calling her 'Jedi Veila', but Tahiri had destroyed that.

Luke was still standing by the door, though, and he looked back into the hall. Then, Masters Kam and Tionne Solusar joined him in the small room. Immediately, Tahiri's heart dropped into her stomach and made her feel queasy, a feeling she knew wouldn't leave her for a while. Dear Kam and Tionne. She loved Kam and Tionne. And that was exactly why she didn't want to see them. Dear Kam and Tionne, the Masters who'd practically raised her. Dear Tionne who had found her on Tatooine when she'd still been so young. Tionne had taken her and brought her to Master Skywalker's Praxeum where she'd grown up alongside a number of other Jedi students. But Tionne and Kam had been like parents to her. Almost. They'd been the best that she had had until Tahiri had grown close to Anakin's family.

The problem with seeing Kam and Tionne now was that they reminded her of her childhood, how she'd grown up, the person that she used to be. There was a sort of guilt that plagued her when she thought about the time she'd spent with Caedus. She felt like she'd disappointed them, failed them since the time that she'd left Yavin IV behind. She felt dirty and guilty.

But when Tionne's gaze found her, her eyes filled with tears- filled with relief and hope- and she hurried over to hug her. Tahiri nearly gasped aloud. "Ohh, Tahiri!" she cried and Tahiri heard Kam's gentle chuckles from where he stood by Luke. But he came over, too, and hugged her.

"It's good to see you, Tahiri," Tionne said, "We've missed you."

"Well, the academy sure has been quieter," Kam joked and everyone in the room had to either chuckle or grin.

"I thought I'd bring the Masters Solusar with me to talk with you a little," Luke began. Tekli provided him a stool and he sat off to Tahiri's side.

"Right," she nodded. "You want to talk about my little 'skirmish'."

"Actually, that's not what we came here for, Tahiri. From the report Ben gave me, I see no reason to press you about your actions during your time of partnership with Darth Caedus. He assured me that you're feeling guilty enough, it would be merciless of me to press you any further. However, I came here to ask you about something that might be even harder to discuss. I apologize in advance."

Tahiri frowned. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Tahiri," Kam said and rested a hand near her leg. "We came to debrief you."

The truth was almost a slap to the face.

Tionne was quick to throw her husband a look and Kam shrugged. "I'm sorry, Tahiri. That's just the truth, though. We have been assured that you're looking to rejoin the Order and that the events of the war are already long behind us."

"But I would at least like to know what started this," Luke explained. "This was my idea, my decision, so don't find fault in the Solusars."

Tahiri shook her head. "Of course not. So, what would you like to know?"

"Tahiri, before, I couldn't have imagined that you would take such a path to the dark side. Now-"

"You want to know what Caedus did to me."

Luke's expression remained deadpan. He was not surprised. "I had assumed Caedus had done something."

"Yeah, he did a lot, didn't he?" She sighed. "Well, it was him. Or, he drew me to the dark side, I guess you can say."

"But why?"

"The same reason I do anything anymore. Look, I know what you're wondering and I know exactly why I bothered following Caedus for so long."

Luke frowned.

"Anakin."

His frown deepened.

"Everyone knows that Caedus named his big Star Destroyer after him, but you have no idea how much Caedus _used_ him." It took hardly a second after Tahiri spoke the words for tears to glimmer in her eyes. She could have cursed herself for falling for her own weakness so quickly. _Come on, Tahiri,_ she told herself, _It's time to be a big girl. You don't have to cry every time you think of him._ But that never stopped the tears that she cried for him every day. "He used Anakin against me."

Where she sat in a small chair at Tahiri's feet, Tionne wore a sad-eye look.

Tahiri continued, "He knew that was all it would take. I was a tool for him. He needed to use me to get his dirty work done and he knew I wouldn't be up for that. So, he brought Anakin into it."

"Tahiri, if you don't mind me asking, how? Was it something he said about Anakin?"

"No," she shook her head. "It was empty promises. Promises that meant absolutely nothing. When he sought me out, the first thing he said to me was, 'Tahiri, would you like to see Anakin again?'"

Luke's face cleared. "Flow-walking."

Tahiri's gaze was elsewhere, though; somewhere far beyond. She added quietly, "I think it was at that moment that I lost myself."

"But he promised to take you flow-walking to see Anakin again?"

Tahiri smiled bitterly at Luke. "He promised me so much more. But they were all empty. Empty, meaningless promises that I should never have fallen for."

Kam leaned forward in his seat. "Tahiri, what exactly did Caedus promise you?"

"Well, he made many promises, but not with so many words. He knew how weak I am for Anakin. So, he didn't outright promise me so much as he led me to believe." For a moment, Tahiri blushed. "There was a moment on Myrkr between me and Anakin that- that I regret. That I wish I could go back and redo. So, Caedus let me believe that I could. He brought me back many times and I thought I had changed it-"

"But that's not how flow-walking works," Kam said.

Her mouth dry and her eyes wet, Tahiri only said, "He never told me that until the day I left."

"The day that Ben found you," Luke clarified.

"Yes. Because then, Caedus was so confident of his own victory. He didn't need any more use of me. So, he told me the truth and let me go. Anakin was the only thing keeping me tied to Caedus. The moment he let me realize the truth about the flow-walking, he lost every ounce of my loyalty."

"To be clear," Kam started. "Caedus never said anything about how one's presence in a moment of history through flow-walking affected the moment."

"No. When he brought me back to _Baanu Rass,_ I just automatically hoped that flow-walking would allow for me to change things. I thought it did. I hoped it so much that it wasn't long before I had myself convinced; I truly believed that that was how flow-walking worked. Caedus knew that. So, he let me just keep on believing that."

"Was there any other reason to why you joined Cae-"

Tahiri just shook her head. "Anakin," she told them. "It was only ever Anakin." Tionne drew in a long breath and Kam shifted in his seat. "The mere possibilities of flow-walking amazed me. When Caedus first showed me, I could only think of all the things I wanted to do with it. I wanted to see Anakin again. I wanted to go back and redo so many moments. I wanted to cheat time and death and I-"

She stopped. But Kam, Tionne, and Luke all knew what she was leaving unsaid. _I wanted to bring Anakin back._

"I was going to stop it. I don't know how. I don't think I ever got that far in planning. I just knew that was my goal. The bright light at the end of the tunnel that I was headed for." Tahiri shook her head at her own foolishness.

"Tahiri."

She looked up to meet Luke's gaze.

"Do you think there's any more potential for flow-walking?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think that, if used in a specific way, more could be accomplished by flow-walking?"

Tahiri considered for a moment before she stiffly shook her head. "No!" she shouted and the tears returned to her eyes with a vengeance. "No. Flow-walking is a dead end. Caedus taught me all there was to it and that's it! It's- it's a stupid trick! It should be banned! It's useless. Flow-walking just fills the Force with empty promises. Now, I'm sorry, Master Skywalker, but I don't want to discuss this any further."

"Of course, Tahiri. I apologize. Masters Solusar and I will take our leave now."

* * *

Mirax Terrik Horn stood before Luke's desk, patient while she waited for him to look up. Luke knew he was there, but he finished reading part of a report from Kyp about the Moff Council before closing the folder to pay the Corellian woman attention. He watched her fingers dance on the edge of his desk. She wasn't impatient; the woman just had so much energy and Luke wasn't sure that he'd ever seen her stand still for half a minute. He smiled warmly and part amusedly when he looked up. "Good afternoon, Mirax."

"Grand Master, still ever one for formalities, I see."

He shrugged. "Probably Leia's fault." He stood and accepted the hug she offered. Then, he saw Corran standing just behind her, though he'd already sensed him there as well. "How are you? What can I do for you?"

Mirax took Corran's hand and they adopted expressions of empathy as Mirax started in a gentle voice, "Never mind that, Luke. We came here as good friends, to see you. We're- worried."

Luke frowned. "Worried?"

"Well," Corran shrugged. "Everyone is. Not to be rude, but about your sister especially. Not that we would expect her to be around right now, but no one has heard from her and it's already been a few days since-"

Mirax cleared her throat and Luke understood. He raised his chin slowly, then lowered it.

"Everyone is just worried about Han and Leia. And Jaina. You said they're still in the medical ward?"

"Oh! Um, well, Jaina is still recovering," he lied. Jaina had already been admitted out of Cilghal's care. She'd been spending the last few days with her parents in the medward, watching over Anakin who still hung on a thread. But nobody besides the Solos, Luke, Cilghal, and Tekli knew any of that. "Master Cilghal said she'll be just fine, but she had some burns . . . "

Mirax's breath hitched and Luke didn't know how to respond as he looked between the husband and wife.

He swallowed. "But- she'll be fine." He said it in a dismissive manner, simultaneously shrugging and shaking his head as if it hardly mattered. "It'll be fine," he repeated.  
Mirax gave a frown. "What about Han and Leia? How are they holding up?"

"Oh, well, you know Leia. She's- trying to tough it out. Han is holding her up." And Luke knew that was the truth.

Mirax nodded sadly and Corran showed a look of concern. "We thought we would visit Leia and Han. Do you think now would be a good time to talk to them?"

"No!"

Mirax and Corran both blinked, startled. "Uh, I just mean that I don't know if they want company right now."

Now, the couple nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Mirax took her husband's hand as they headed out of Luke's office. She steered him down a hallway other than the one they'd come from and Corran frowned. "Where are we going?"

"To see Han and Leia."

"I thought we just agreed that-"

"Oh, please, Corran!" Mirax rolled her eyes. "I just feel like we should stop by."

"You just- just feel like it."

Mirax shrugged. "I don't know. But they did just lose another son, another child. Sure, I get why everyone's going with the whole Jacen-died-a-long-time-ago-probably-shortly-after-Anakin thing, but we all know the truth. It doesn't matter what metaphorical view we have on it, that was their son. That was one of Leia's children, her son that she gave birth to. And the second one they've lost. I can't imagine how much they must be hurting."

Corran went with her reasoning and they walked down to Cilghal's medward in the basement of the base.

The halls were empty and Mirax figured that Cilghal and Tekli were taking a break. The Order demanded long hours of them and Mirax thought they deserved a nice, long vacation if Master Cilghal would ever agree to it.

"There." Mirax looked to see Corran gesturing down one short hall. She followed his guidance until they saw two dark shadows standing at the end of the hall; a man and woman. Mirax considered turning around as she realized she and Corran were interrupting a private moment. The man leaned down to leave a kiss on the woman's forehead, looked down the hall toward Mirax and Corran, then quickly disappeared out an exit door. The woman turned to look at them then took hesitant steps into the light. "Master Horn? Mirax? What are you doing down here?" Jaina stared at them with confusion, her mouth opened in surprise.

"Jaina!" Mirax hurried forward, just as confused as the younger woman. "What are you doing up? Your uncle told us you were still healing."

Jaina nodded mutely, her cheeks lifting up in a cringe just as a new voice joined them. "Jaina, I'm going down to the cafet-" Han Solo froze as he noticed the Horns standing there.

"Han," Corran said softly, stepping forward. "How is everything? Luke had told us that Jaina was still in recovery. We were worried."

"Right. Well . . . "

Jaina sighed. "I'm feeling much better. Thank you. We're just down here-" She stopped, then started over. "There's something you should see. We haven't told many people yet. Only Uncle Luke, Master Cilghal, and Tekli know. Just come." Jaina and Han turned to the nearest door and led the Horns inside. The spacious room was lit sparsely, the main light source being a dim, yellow panel off to the side of the room. Han flicked another light on and Mirax could then make out Leia's slumped form in a chair beside the med-bunk. Mirax paid all her attention to her. She looked so disarrayed like she could sit in the chair but not really be there. Her hair looked unbrushed and her gaze was so unfocused, but it flickered and quickly came to focus on Mirax who stood before her. Leia had herself curled up in a blanket and she dropped it to her lap as she sat up to acknowledge the other woman. "Mirax."

"Hey," Mirax said. She found a chair and pulled it over to sit beside Leia. She took her hands and asked her, "How are you?"

Leia shrugged. "Tired."

"Hmph."

"What are you doing down here?"

"Well, we thought Jaina was still in a medbed down here."

Leia looked over Mirax's shoulder to exchange a look with her own husband.

Confused and almost uncomfortable, Mirax added, "Corran and I thought we'd come see you and Han."

Leia just nodded slowly. "Jaina's fine."

Mirax blinked. She looked to Corran who just shrugged. "Um . . . " Mirax repositioned herself in her chair and leaned in close to her friend. "Leia, are you okay?" She spoke to her as if she were a child, and it hurt her to do so, but Leia truly did seem so far away. It was as if she were on a whole other planet in a far away galaxy, so distant from everyone else. She seemed lost like she'd lost her compass.

Mirax's words seemed to shock her back into the present just the tiniest bit. Her eyes bulged for a brief moment. "I'm fine, Mirax."

"Okay, well, is there any we," she motioned between herself and Corran, "can help you?"

Leia just stared at her for a long while. It made Mirax want to burst into tears herself. Then, as sudden as a flash, Leia's face cleared and she truly looked Mirax in the eyes. "I don't know what to do."

"What?"

"Come here." Leia stood and grabbed the edge of a curtain which hung around the medbed. She pulled it aside and Mirax- at Leia's encouragement- looked to examine who lay on the bed."Oh! Kriff!" She spun right back around, hardly believing her eyes, but Leia clung to Han and his eyes said it all. He believed it. A non-Force user. Not to say that Han was faithless, but he'd always been a bit more cynical and untrusting. There was nothing wrong with that. He was just more realistic and the Force had a tendency to clash with his ideals. If something smelled fishy, Han would plunge toward the more realistic explanation. As for herself, Mirax trusted her husband's Force instincts over anything else, but if Han believed this- that this unconscious person truly was his dead son-

Oh, what was Mirax to think? She hadn't been at the funeral to have seen Anakin Solo's body burn, but Luke Skywalker and half the Jedi Order had felt it the moment that the young legacy had passed into the Force. But then, how was it that he was here? She glanced at the monitors off to his side, each pronouncing him alive. His heart beat albeit slowly and his breaths were aided by their own machine, but there was nothing that went to say that he wasn't alive.

Looking for guidance, Mirax turned to her husband, but he was still studying the body, his mouth hanging wide open. So, she turned back to the Solos. But when they returned her gaze, Mirax lost all her words.

"We don't know how," Han mumbled in his own amazement. He left Leia's side and sat down at the head of his son's bunk. Leia, floating right behind, joined him. She thrust her hand through his hair and caressed his pale cheek. "He was just- there. In the same room Jaina was."

"Wait, when?! When did this happen? Where? I-"

Leia responded, "When we came to get Jaina out-"

"Off the _Anakin."_

She nodded, grimacing at the irony. "He was just lying there. Jaina has no idea what happened. She said that there was some sort of storm. Then, Caedus was missing, but _Anakin_ was there."

At first, all Mirax could do was laugh. She came to the side of the bed where Leia and Han both sat and she gave a choked-off laugh and reached out to pat Leia's hand. "Leia, that's- this is amazing! I don't know how it is, but this is amazing! I'm so glad for you. For both of you!"

Han and Leia seemed to take the congratulations with mixed feelings as Han sort of winced and Leia's nose wrinkled.

 _They've still lost a son,_ Mirax had to remind herself. _They're grieving at the same time as- how do they even deal with that?_ Mirax thought it a wonder and decided to tread lightly around this conversation. Unfortunately, she'd never learned the proper conversation etiquette for such a situation.

"How is he?" she asked softly.

While Han looked to her to respond, Mirax noticed that Leia had retreated back into her own world, completely focused on her son. She held his face between her hands, her eyes glassy with emotion. Mirax struggled to cope with the sight.

"He's hanging on," Han told her. "It's insane." He shook his head. "He has the exact same injuries he did from Myrkr. It's like he was just transported to the Star Destroyer."

"But he'll be alright?"

Startled, Mirax's gaze flicked up to see it was her husband who was asking. Seemingly having gathered back his wits, Corran gazed at Han with great sympathy while reaching a hand over to rest on Leia's. She gave him a small smile in acknowledgment. "Master Cilghal is still worried," she said. "When the rest of the team had come back, I'd had no idea his injuries were this bad."

"He's only breathing with a respirator," Han added. "A couple amphistaff wounds."

"He's weak," Jaina said simply. "He'd spent every ounce of his energy fighting. He just needs time to heal."

Mirax wanted to appear more hopeful, but she couldn't even get past wrapping her mind around the idea (Idea- not fact; this was too crazy and new for Mirax to consider as a fact.) of Anakin being alive again.

She brought her gaze back up to the bed. He was still there.

"I don't know what to say, Leia, Han," Corran was saying. "This is extraordinary! I do wish he makes a quick recovery."

Leia managed a soft-spoken, "Thank you," still more focused on the body which lay before her.

Sensing that nothing would be able to break the poor woman from her reverie, Mirax embraced her for a long moment, offered an encouraging smile, then took Corran with her and left.

Standing outside the medroom, Corran blew out a breath. "What on Coruscant did we just walk into?"

* * *

He walked in to find his sister and niece curled up together on a chair and their heads were slumped against each other. At the sight, Luke smiled because he was reminded of just how much Jaina and Leia looked alike. Wearing peaceful, innocent faces slumber, Luke turned to leave them; he was doubtful that either of the women had slept a decent amount in the last few days. Or, more likely, in the past weeks. He knew his sister and husband had been spending some great time in sorrow over their lost son and Jaina had been pushing herself to the brink in preparation for her duel against Darth Caedus. So, Luke didn't dare wake them now.

But, of course, as he turned to leave and crept out the door, Leia reached through the Force and tug him back. It always amazed Luke- since his sister had begun training under Master Sebatyne- how powerful and strong she was. Even though he knew it was wrong, Luke found it easy to forget that Leia had as much potential in the Force as him and that he was no stronger or more powerful than she. The Force came just as naturally to her.

When Luke turned back around, Leia was rubbing sleep from her eyes, careful not to wake her daughter who remained blissfully asleep.

"Hey, there," he greeted quietly.

"Hi," she waved. "What are you up to? Don't you have a bed to sleep in when it's so late?"

He smiled. "What about you? Is Han hogging up all the space?"

"We thought we'd stay here for the night." With a flip of her her, Leia indicated the medroom. "Han is just making a quick trip home to check on something. He'll be back soon."

Luke nodded. "So, you decided to stay here tonight. And last night. And the night before."

"I don't think I can leave this room. I'm stuck."

"Well, if you're stuck, at least take care of yourself. Where does Han keep going to? During the room, he was always good at making sure you ate. Have you even had anything to eat in the last 72 hours? Really, what's Han doing?"

Leia quickly looked away as she answered, "Han is taking care of a small thing at home. He'll be back in the morning."

Luke frowned. "He's staying at your quarters all night? Is everything okay?"

Leia waved away his concern, shaking her head. "Luke, it's nothing like that. It's fine. It's just a small matter he's looking over."

Luke pondered her explanation with some worry. What could possibly be keeping Han home at a time like this?

Sensing his worry, Leia elaborated, "We adopted a war orphan."

For a while, his confusion only mounted, but he read Leia's soft gaze and the reassurances she was sending him- and it came to him. His mouth opened in surprise. "A war orphan, huh?"

Leia put a finger to her lips and repeated, "A war orphan."

Luke nodded. "What happened to the mother?"

"She thought it was for the best." Leia offered no further explanation, no more words. So, Luke took the plunge and asked gently, "How is Anakin?"

Leia hesitated. "Stable."

Luke probed her feelings just a little and quickly became aware of a rising sense of guilt building within her. He did a double take, leaning forward to watch her carefully. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Well, we both know that's not true. Come on. You can tell me. What's bothering you?"

She was silent for a long moment, refusing to respond, but Luke knew she would answer soon enough, so he allowed the silence and waited.

"This shouldn't be happening," she finally said. "This isn't right."

"Don't tell me you're upset about this."

Leia's eyes flared even though she knew her brother was only joking. "I mean- it isn't fair. And I feel bad because of it."

"Because . . . "

Leia found the courage to look him in the eye when she finally said it aloud. "You deserve to have Mara back."

It hit Luke squarely in the chest, but he knew Leia had done it on purpose. She wasn't going to beat around the bush. She truly felt bad and she felt the need to express that.

He assured her, "And you deserve to have Anakin back. This isn't something that should be _blamed_ on someone else. And I certainly couldn't be mad at you for getting your son back."

Leia, with no words to respond, turned back to watch her unconscious son where he lay. "I don't know if I can deal with this."

"I think you can. It will be good. You have him back, Leia. That's all that matters."

"I have him back," Leia echoed, "and-" She broke off in silent tears. Her jaw trembled with sobs, so Luke kneeled at her side and awkwardly hugged her while she remained sitting with her daughter still lying in her arms. "You'll figure this out," he promised. "You and Han will figure this out and then it will be really great. It will be really great, Leia."

"Promise me that because I can't take any more of this."

Luke softly chuckled. "It will be."

Leia cried into his shoulder and Luke didn't mind. He watched his nephew over Leia's head until she turned back to watch him too. "This isn't how it goes," she said. "I could swear it was just yesterday we had his funeral!"

"Hey! Hey, relax," he tried to soothe, but found it hard as the same old memories were returning to him as well. It seemed like only yesterday that he had sent both of his nephews and his only niece along with fourteen other young students straight into the heart of Yuuzhan Vong territory. And only yesterday that he had felt the death of Anakin and the supposed death of Jacen and he had allowed Leia- in all her cold and molten, bitter rage, fury, and sorrow- to place the burden on his shoulders. Had he truly ever felt the weight of that burden leave him? He didn't think so, but- at the sight of Anakin now- he felt slightly relieved.

Luke promised his sister once again, "This is going to be really great."

* * *

 **AN:** Hello, lovely readers! Thank you for checking out Revival; I really hope that you're enjoying this EU story. I'm really proud of how this chapter went, so I can't wait to hear from you guys (please!)

Now, while I still have your attention, if you hang out on Tumblr, might I suggest that you go check out **starwarsotpositivity**? It's a safe haven for Star Wars fans who need a place to flee the war in the SW fandom right now. If you need some positivity in the fandom or want to escape TFA canon, this is promised to be a wonderful place to stay and it's headed by the wonderful OtterandTerrier.

Again, thanks for reading. Now:

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	5. Chapter 5

"I'm sorry," Leia said automatically when Han returned to Anakin's room the next day. In his arms, he carried a small, dark-haired girl. She was slung over his shoulder, her feet dangling near his waist, asleep.

He frowned deeply. "What?"

Leia sighed, running a hand over her face. "How did she sleep?"

Han carefully set the girl in a chair. "Hardly a wink. When she was asleep, she was screaming with nightmares." He looked to their son on the medical bunk. "Reminded me of the ones he used to have when he was little."

Leia smiled a bittersweet smile. "He's not so little anymore."

"No, I 'spose not." He kneeled at her side and leaned forward to caress her face in his hand and leave a tender kiss on her lips. Leia smiled, inhaling his scent. "Now, what on Coruscant were you trying to apologize for?"

Leia dropped her head and it came to rest comfortably on her husband's chest. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you last night. I'm sorry I haven't been much of a help at all lately."

"Hey, sweetheart! I don't expect that much from you."

"I don't think that's a lot."

"I think a little weight gets added, though, when your dead son suddenly comes back to life."

Leia chuckled despite the grief, guilt and confusion ravaging her awareness.

Han disentangled Jaina from her mother's arms.

"Han, don't you dare try to pick her up. You're going to hurt her."

"Oh?" Han flashed her a comical scowl. "You're worried about _her_ getting hurt, huh?"

With aid from the Force, Leia helped lift their daughter until Han lied her in another chair. Then, he joined Leia in hers. He took her into his lap and kept his lips hovered over her crown. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

She shook her head against his chest, meanwhile looping his arms tighter around herself. "I missed your snoring."

Han's deep chuckle rumbled in Leia's ear. "I'm sorry, Princess."

She shook her head again. "I hate sleeping without you. Let's never do it again."

"Deal. . . . How is he doing?"

"Cilghal came in earlier this morning. She said his vitals are looking much better. She seemed very hopeful."

"Did she say anything about him waking up soon?"

"No. He'll wake up when he wakes up. . . . Han, what are we going to do when that happens?"

"Easy. We're going to tell him all those things we wanted to say after he died."

Leia smiled sadly. "You make it sound so simple."

"I don't know what else to tell you, sweetheart. We just have to take this one step at a time. We'll figure it out. Just take deep breaths while you still can."

And she did, melting herself into Han's secure embrace. He didn't hold her tight, but comfortably, letting her body conform to his own so they became one. She settled her head to rest on his shoulder. In the comfort and safety of her husband's arms, Leia watched their son.

"Han. Do you realize . . . that he's not as young as we always think of him being?"

Han chuckled quietly. "Sweetheart, I think I understand that he's a couple years older now."

Leia moved her hand to his arm. She turned in his arms so she could look at him and said, "Han, he's 31."

Han quickly turned his gaze back to Anakin. "Kriff."

Leia just patted his arm. "Now we're on the same page."

Han sighed.

"I know that it isn't going to help anything if I'm freaking out about this, but I don't know what else to do, Han. I see him there and all I can think about is that moment when he wakes up. What are we going to do? What are we going to tell him? How is he going to react? Is he even going to wake up? And, Han, I need to know what we're going to do. What's our plan-?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Shhh." Han took hold of her arms to still her and he whispered in her ear, his hot breath relaxing her. "Don't overwhelm yourself like that. When he wakes up-"

"If he wakes up."

" _When he wakes up,_ that should be a moment for us to celebrate, to be happy. We don't need to spoil it making ourselves anxious everything."

"Don't you worry?"

"Sweetheart, I'm too busy worrying about you."

"It would make me feel better if I knew that you were worrying about our son, too."

"Who said I wasn't?" Han leaned in to leave a kiss on the side of Leia's face. "I worry a lot, too. About my whole family."

"There's too much to worry about."

"That's why I'm here. To worry with you."

Leia managed a small smile. For further comfort, she stole another kiss from him. Through their lips, Han gave her all the strength he could before begrudgingly breaking apart. He pulled her out of the chair and she was quick to object.

"Come on," Han coerced her, pulling her to her feet. "You need a break. Let's go find something to eat."

"But what if he wakes up when we're gone?"

"If he wakes up, we'll be right back." Han began leading her out of the room. "Come on. We'll find some food, and then we can visit Tahiri."

Leia gasped. "Han? I almost forgot about her."

"It's alright, sweetheart." Han took his wife's hand and brought her down the hall. "Why don't we go get something to eat, so you can relax. Then, we'll go see Tahiri afterward."

* * *

The Jedi base's cafeteria area was much more packed than usual. Leia supposed it was to be blamed on all the contingency and post-war meetings that Luke was holding. Or, that the Council agreed needed to be held. Luke had warned her that he'd be busy most of the day. Leia was just thankful that she was only a Jedi Knight, though she knew better than to count on that little detail keeping her out of the meetings. Soon enough, she and Han would probably get called in. Mulling over her options, Leia realized that it would be pretty easy to pull the grief card. After losing so much, Leia thought she deserved it.

The chances of that trick passing seemed to increase as Han held her hand while they made their way to the lunch line and heads turned to offer looks of sympathy. _They don't even know the half of it,_ Leia thought as they continued on. And just like that, she was suddenly more aware of her grief than her joy. In fact, her joy seemed to dwindle to the tiniest spark as she felt the touches of several Jedi around her offering their condolences for her son's death. Subconsciously, she hugged herself to Han's side. The looks around her seemed to grow more pitiful.

With trays of bland shells wrapped around some mysterious meat and beef, covered in a pale cheese, Han and Leia took seats near one end of the cafeteria. Nearly as soon as they sat down, someone came to join them.

"Hey, Aunt Leia. Hi, Uncle Han."

"Hey, kid. What are you doing over here? I don't think it's the coolest thing to be seen by the ladies eating with your aunt and uncle."

Ben shrugged, folding his napkins and hiding them under his tray. "They must never have met you guys, then."

Leia chuckled wholeheartedly, responding in kind when Ben reached out to hug her. "So, have you managed to escape your father's meetings?"

"I told him I'd already promised Cilghal I'd be helping her."

Leia narrowed her eyes at her nephew.

"It's the truth! Master Cilghal asked me to help transfer patients around. . . . It just ended up taking only two hours."

Leia rolled her eyes at him.

"All I know is that I've lasted the entire morning without getting called down to the Council room. Lucky, right?"

"You think it's funny now," Leia smirked. "I'm going to tell your father _all_ about this little trick of yours when he's finished."

"It's his fault," Ben began. "I don't think he knows how discipline works with kids."

Han snorted, stabbing his fork into a pile of leafy greens.

But Ben ended his joke there, and the heavy silence grew quickly. Leia watched her nephew with her peripheral vision, took note of how he seemed to be occupying himself with the greasy gorba melts that sat on his flimsi plate. And it wasn't like he was just eating, either; he was eating for the purpose to busying himself, maybe to avoid conversation. Leia sighed, dropping her own utensils. "Out with it, Ben," she said.

Ben gave a short sigh, dropping his fork on his plate and turning to face her. Han looked up from his own meal. "Dad told me about what happened after Jaina's duel with Caedus. He told me that Anakin was back."

Han's gaze darted to Leia who tensed, though she'd been expecting this. She nodded a couple times, her head bobbing like the head of a doll stuck to its body on a loose spring. _Up_ and _down, up_ and _down,_ over and over again. Her communication skills escaping her, Leia simply said, "Yes. I guess. It's real."

Ben grimaced while watching her. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine, kid," Han assured his nephew. "We're figuring it out."

"I'm sorry for this," Ben apologized. "I'm sorry if I shouldn't have brought it up-"

"No, kid. You're alright. It's just- a lot to take in and we're still trying to figure out what to do."

"I get it. I just wanted to make sure you were both alright."

Leia smiled gingerly at him. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears in the cafeteria's bright lighting. "Don't worry about us, Ben. We'll be fine. Just help your dad out. He still needs you."

Ben nodded, picking up his tray. "I think I'm going to go join Jysella, Valin, and Seha at their table."

"You go do that, kid. We're fine."

In exchange for Ben's leaving, Mirax startled Leia as she scooted onto the bench across from her. She situated herself beside Han who and nearly spilled half his bowl of soup in his startled state. "Hey! Whoa, sorry." Using her own napkins, she helped Han clean the mess. "I shouldn't have been able to startle you like that. Over the years of being married to Corran, I've grown used to it. How are you?"

Mirax was such a hyper and flamboyant woman; it was easy for Leia to see how she got along so well with Mara. A pang of guilt hit Leia with the thought and she winced as she wiped her mouth, then set her napkin back down. "We're alright," Leia assured her. She forced a chuckle. "We don't need you checking on us like a babysitter."

Mirax didn't smile- not even in kind to Leia's forced one. She supposed the Corellian woman saw right through it. Instead, Mirax left her food untouched and sat sideways in her chair so that she could maintain her gaze on Leia. "Sure, you don't. Well, I'm going to sit right here anyway."

"Hey, Han." Corran came up from behind Leia and Mirax. Naturally, he settled a hand on his wife's back was he waved to Han, then nodded to the other woman present. "Leia."

"Master Horn," Leia acknowledged him. Corran frowned.

"Hey," Mirax smirked, turning her dark eyes to Han. "If it makes you uncomfortable, just stick around Han. I'm not sure that he cares for much for titles. The only one he respects is his wife's."

Han shrugged, smiling easily.

"How about it, Han?" Corran asked, "Wanna' join me for a drink? I hear Kyp got Kyle to help him start up a bar near the crew quarters. If Kyp's running the operation, it can't be _too_ bad."

Leia snorted. "I would trust the drinks from Mos Eisley first."

Han got up from his seat, carrying his tray, and rounded the table to stand by his wife. "I think I'll take my chances. But just in case I don't make it back . . ." He shared a kiss with her. "I'll be right back." Leia waved goodbye to him as he and Corran left. Once they were far past, Leia raised an accusatory eyebrow at Mirax. "You two did that on purpose."

"Maybe."

"I don't need a babysitter."

"Despite Winter's testimonies on her days of babysitting your children, trust me, I know."

"Then, why is this starting to feel like an intervention?"

"It's not an intervention. This is a . . ."

"Check-in?"

Mirax blew a sigh out her nose. "Fine. I came to talk to you. I am worried about you. And, I think, with good reason. But not for the reasons you might think."

Leia laughed bitterly. "Mirax, I've grown somewhat accustomed to the process of grieving. I'm alright."

"See? There it is! I didn't come to talk to you about your grief. Well, not exactly." She made herself comfortable where she sat, resting an elbow on the table and putting her other hand on Leia's. She asked Leia in a low whisper, "How's Anakin?"

Leia gave a grateful smile. "Same as before. Nothing different, really."

"Have you told Tahiri yet?"

"You heard that Tahiri's here?"

Mirax almost laughed. "Corran has always seen her as a sort of niece. The Solusars felt it only fair that we were among the first to hear."

Leia shook her head. "Han and I are going to go see her after her lunch. Have you and Corran visited her yet?"

Mirax shook her head. "Cilghal had told us that you and Han hadn't seen her yet We thought it best you two go before us. She needs the comfort of knowing that your family forgives her. I think that will help her quite a bit."

"I hope. So, what else did you come here to tell me?"

Mirax's smile vanished, but she looked carefully at Leia. "Corran told me you feel guilty. He- he-"

"He _feels_ my guilt."

Mirax nodded. "Please explain that to me. Leia Organa Solo, why on Coruscant do you feel guilty? What have you ever done?"

Leia couldn't look her in the eye, so she dropped her gaze to her tray. "I told Luke yesterday that- I do feel guilty. Just because I don't see why I deserve to have something back that I'd lost. This doesn't happen, so why is it happening to me?"

"Leia, you lost a son! Of course, you deserve to have that back."

"But of everyone who has ever lost someone. When people lose someone, they aren't supposed to get them back. I've gotten used to that."

"Yeah? I bet. Listen, Leia. Look around here." She swept out an arm to indicate the lunchtime rush that was overtaking the cafeteria. "Look at everyone around here. Hardly anyone in this room hasn't suffered some kind of loss. We're a world torn over and over by war. Everyone's lost someone. Corran lost his father when he was young. My dad and I lost my mother when I was even younger. And you-!"

"I am practically famous for losing loved ones," Leia supplied bitterly.

Mirax planted a hand on her hip. "You've lost so much, Leia. You've lost everything over and over again. Family, friends, best friends. You deserve to get some of it back. You deserve to have Anakin back. You deserve all the happiness in the world for all the sorrow you've suffered. You and Han both. You deserve to get back the son who died a martyr."

"What about the one who didn't?"

Surprised, Mirax found herself sitting up straighter. She blinked, trying to find her words and gather them. "You deserve to have a family, Leia. That's all I can say."  
Leia sniffled. "We let him go," she said, her voice broken and feeble. "We let all of our kids go."

"To Myrkr? Well, do you regret that?"

Leia looked up sharply. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped. "I don't know anymore."

"I think you do! Would you really take that all back? You know as well as anyone else who was there that Anakin-"

"He saved the Order," Leia smiled. "I'm well aware. I'm proud of what he did. I'm proud to call him my little boy, but if you knew the pain of losing a child- you would regret it, too."

Mirax bit the corner of her lip. "I'm sorry."

Leia shook her head, finishing off her gorba melt in one last bite. "No, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's just that- I feel like I'm too happy about this. I don't deserve it. I know what it is to mourn, to lose someone that mattered more than anything to you. I know what it is to lose your world. And not just an actual world, but whatever is the world to you. I've lost so many worlds. I would give a world back to anyone else who understood that. I just can't understand why _I'm_ getting one of my worlds back."

Mirax smiled, moved by Leia's speech- and her honesty! Mourning for her, Mirax reached out and enfolded her in a great big hug. "Because you deserve it, Leia. You deserve to get back a piece of the liberty and happiness you've brought to the galaxy. So, don't think about that. No, just don't think of it _like_ that. Don't feel guilty; there's no reason for that. No one could possibly blame you for this. Enjoy this, Leia. Rejoice in it! You're getting one of your worlds back. Don't focus on anything _but_ your joy. Be there for him. He'll need you."

Far beyond words and currently lacking the ability to use them, Leia took Mirax's words to heart and soaked in the joy that Mirax _felt for her._

Mirax added, "Leia, if I got back one dear friend that I've lost, or even my mother, I would take it back and run away with it. Stop being so selfless. You have Anakin back. So, take him, love him, let him know how hard these years have been without him. Take it, Leia, and run."

* * *

Tahiri had been admitted out of Cilghal's medward and provided quarters by Master Skywalker. It was there that Leia was directed and found the woman by herself. Leia knocked and, at once, sensed Tahiri's unease spike. She waited a long moment before she came to answer the door. She took a shuddering breath when she cracked the door open enough to actually see the Solo woman standing there. Naturally, Leia displayed a gentle and cautious look and aura. "Hi, Tahiri," she greeted softly.

Tahiri looked away.

"I thought I'd come see you."

When the younger woman forced herself to look back up, her eyes were already glistening with tears.

"Tahiri, I think we both know we need to have a conversation and that conversation isn't going to be easy. But you should know that Han and I-"

"Don't!" It was the first she spoke and Tahiri seemed to have trouble forcing any words out her throat. "Please don't say it," she insisted, but in a softer tone. "I know what you're going to say and I- I'm not in the state to accept forgiveness right now."

Leia pursed her lips. "That's unfortunate."

Tahiri shook her head. "Leia, I . . ."

Leia remained silent, patiently waiting for Tahiri to gather her words- and confidence. To her surprise, Tahiri said something very different than what she'd been expecting. Tahiri pushed her door wide open. "Please, come in."

Leia took one step forward, then continued on at seeing Tahiri waiting. She entered Tahiri's quarters. They weren't small at all, or very big either. But they were spacious with the lack of furniture adorning every corner and wall. The place felt very open and, in a way, it relieved Leia. The quarters were wide and open.

"I'm sorry," Tahiri said as she shut the door. "As you can see, I don't have much furniture."

Leia gave a quick glance around to see that there was no furniture in sight. Unless one would count the mat in the middle of the living room area. "It's fine, Tahiri! Didn't you just move in?"

The woman shrugged. "We can sit at- the counter."

She led them to the small kitchen area and Leia a took seat on one side of the counter. Tahiri sat opposite to her and, with all the bravery she could muster, maintained Leia's gaze. For a moment, her mouth moved, but no words nor sound came out. She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Leia. I-" She swallowed. "I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am."

"I apologize if he betrayed your trust in doing this, but my brother told me what you said to him and Masters Solusar. You could have told us that you were suffering."

In instant response to Leia's words, Tahiri adopted a sad smile and a knowing look, and she shook her head. It made Leia feel old, seeing how mature and grown Tahiri was now. _Time has passed,_ Leia reminded herself. _Years! She's a woman! And your baby boy is a man._

"I could have," she agreed with a nod. "But Caedus's offers were far too tempting."

"Han and I should have been there to help you."

"You couldn't have."

"All you needed was someone to be there."

"Leia, no one could have turned me away from the path I'd chosen. If I'd so willingly followed Caedus, and so blindly, no one could have pulled me back."

"Except for Anakin," Leia provided.

Stunned, Tahiri moved a hand to her hip. Her gaze slid away and she nodded slowly. "Yeah. I guess so."

"Listen, Tahiri. We don't need to talk any more about what happened. That's far behind us."

Tahiri seemed startled by the suggestion. She planted her hands on the counter, her face twisting with thought, as she considered.

"Tahiri, I know that Caedus used you. He used Anakin against you. I'm not sure that I can help ease that damage, but I'm here to help in any way I can. Me and Han both. You are a daughter to us, Tahiri. There's nothing you could ever do that we wouldn't forgive you for. And don't try to say that you don't deserve it. What Caedus did to you was inexcusable, but you've never forgotten my son and I have to thank you for keeping his memory alive."

This seemed to further upset Tahiri and she vigorously shook her head. "I thought I was honoring his memory, but I only used him to justify what I was doing for Caedus! I was the same as him, Leia! I can't stand myself for what I did to his memory! _I_ used Anakin-!"

"Caedus twisted your thoughts. He used Anakin and twisted his name to use you. Tahiri, you may not understand now, but Han and I _do_ forgive you."

"Where is he?"

Leia's shoulders drooped. "He wanted to come see you with me, but he's- taking care of something back home. He asked me to tell you 'hi' for him."

Tahiri couldn't quite smile because Leia's words were too suspicious, but she figured they were of no importance to her, so she put on a light smile and nodded, pushing aside her doubts. "I-um- thank you, Leia."

Leia just smiled generously at her.

Tahiri laughed shortly. "I- I don't deserve the place in your family that you and Han have given me, but I could never tell you how grateful I've always been for it. I don't deserve your forgiveness or the 'welcome back' you and Han and the Jedi Order have given me."

"Maybe you deserve it," Leia said. She came around the counter to stand beside Tahiri and rest a hand over hers. "Maybe you deserve a nice long break."

Tahiri suddenly cracked an amused smile. Cleverly, she added, "Don't we all?"

Leia broke into a fit of laughter and finally threw her arms out to embrace the younger woman. Tahiri let her, laughing with her.

"Ohh, you have no idea, Tahiri, what it means to us to have you be a part of this family. You aren't like a daughter to us at all. You _are_ a daughter to us."

Blinking back tears, Tahiri let herself loose from her guilt just a little and said to Leia, "Thank you. Mom."

Leia blinked. _Anakin._ "Kriff!" she swore aloud.

Tahiri widened her eyes at her and Leia just flipped her hand. "Pardon me. It's Han's fault. Tahiri, I'm so sorry. There is something else I came to talk to you about."

"Talk about . . . about Caedus?"

"No! Oh, no! This has nothing to do with that. No, Tahiri. Something happened after Jaina's duel against Caedus. Han and I agreed that you deserved to hear about it right away. We haven't told many others, but Cilghal, Tekli, and the Horns know."

"What's going on? Leia, is everything alright?"

Suddenly, Leia found her eyes wet as well. She hurriedly wiped at them, simultaneously growing a joyous smile. She could feel it- the relief and joy that Mirax had been demanding she let herself feel. It took her over in a fell swoop, sweeping aside her every doubt and fear and replacing each negative emotion by uncovering every ounce of jubilation that she had in her. "Yes! Yes! Everything is- great! Everything is just amazing!" She took Tahiri by the shoulders and the younger woman's eyes widened. She held back onto Leia, waiting patiently.

"Tahiri," Leia continued, letting all her euphoria sink into the Force and reassuring Tahiri with it all. "Tahiri, something truly amazing has happened. The Force has blessed us!"

* * *

Tahiri gripped Leia's arms, futilely trying to calm her down before she provided an explanation. She'd never seen Leia like this before- happy, deliriously so, and full of such excitement. It seemed so very backward to her. _You just lost your other son,_ she thought, searching her mind for a reason to Leia's joy. _Your one daughter is the only child you have left, and she just killed her brother. What is wrong with you?_ For a brief moment, Tahiri wondered if Leia Organa Solo had finally met her breaking point. One could only suffer so much personal tragedy, she thought, before a breaking point comes and one can stand no more. This must be it; in the death of her other son, Leia must have tripped over her breaking point and now she was free-falling over the edge of the long cliff. The abyss beneath awaited her.

But- with a Force aura that rang chaotically confused and joyous both at once, along with a long sliver of hope- Leia took Tahiri's face between her warm hands, looked her dead in the eyes, and said, "Anakin's back."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you talked to Tahiri," Han apologized, his tone soft. He sat beside Leia, steering their rented speeder. One hand he kept on the steering mechanism, the other he held onto his wife's hand with. "You know, I wanted to go with you and see her."

"I know," Leia nodded. "And I'm sorry I haven't been helping with Amelia. You shouldn't be the only one at home helping her adjust. After all she's been through. . . She's only five, Han. Five!"

"Hey, relax!" Han raised their joined hands and squeezed hers with great strength. Leia grimaced, but then squeezed back. "We'll figure it out. I was thinking earlier, it's tough trying to do this separately."

"Someone needs to watch Amelia," Leia said softly. Han knew she felt the need to stay near their son and Han completely understood. He smiled at her. "We can get Luke to babysit.'

She shook her head. A wind blew through the cracked-open window and she brushed a hand over her hair to smooth back the tendrils of hair that were escaping her braids. "No. I'll come home." She said it hesitantly, forcing herself to let go of her anxious needs.

Han frowned. "I thought we could trade off with Luke. We'll sleep at home-" He squeezed her hand and made sure she was looking him in the eye at that moment. She gave a guilty smile. "We'll have breakfast with Amelia, spend some time with her, then Luke can babysit while we stay at the hospital for a while. Then, we can go back home, spend time with Amelia, have dinner with her. Then, we have another day."

Leia didn't respond right away. Her gaze was set out the front window, far and distant. When she returned to the moment, she rolled her lips in and sighed. "Han?" Her voice broke with tears. "What if he never wakes up?"

Han didn't respond right away. "Leia-"

"No! Han, think. It could be like this for weeks more! Or months! Or years or . . ."

Han didn't respond. Leia waited. Han didn't respond. She bit her lip, turning her gaze out her window.

"Leia," Han finally said, some force behind his voice. He needed no more words; his tone and look were enough. And her name. He had a way of saying her name- Leia was long used to the variety of 'Princess', 'sweetheart', 'dear'- Han was usually pretty serious when he called her by her first name. But he had a way of evoking such emotion into his voice when he did say 'Leia'. As he did now. It captured her full attention and assured her by the tone of his voice and the love and reassurance she felt radiating from him. She basked in it.

"I know," she told him, forcing herself to push her worries aside for the moment. They'd made it through their son's death, they'd make it through this.

"So, what all did you say to her?"

"I told her as much as we discussed," Leia assured him. 'As much' meant everything. Tahiri had been so close to Anakin, grow up with him; she'd been just as traumatized by his death as the Solos had been. Han and Leia had immediately agreed that the young woman deserved to know as much about Anakin's condition as they did. So, Leia had told Tahiri everything they knew, not leaving a single detail out.

"She handled it better than I'd been expecting."

That's good."

"I don't think she can quite grasp it, though."

"Did you tell her that she can come see him?"

"That's what troubles me, Han. She insisted that she doesn't want to come see him. While he's unconscious, that is."

Han didn't seem too surprised. He gave a small shrug as if to say, 'well, what can you do,' then responded. "I wouldn't expect her to just jump into it with us. These years since she lost him have hurt her just as much as they've hurt us. I doubt she even knows what to think of it."

Leia nodded. "She seemed to be in a sort of trance. I did my best to explain it to her, what we've been talking about. I told her that we aren't sure how it happened. I was hoping she'd want to come back with us. I suppose she just needs time before she'd even consider this. "

"She'll figure it out. Hopefully, with the Force, she'll know that you were telling her the truth. Besides that, she should know we wouldn't torture her like that."

Leia sighed again. "She should know." Her gaze floated back to the viewport and she slowly straightened in her seat as something seemed- amiss. She studied the next directional sign as they continued driving and Leia only frowned at it. "Han? You took the wrong turn?"

"Did I, now?"

"Yes! This is taking us farther away from the base."

"Hm!"

"Haaan."

"Relax, sweetheart." He squeezed her hand in his again, this time raising it to his mouth to kiss it. "You need to rest at home."


	6. Chapter 6

In a surprising turn of events, Han was awake before his wife. He looked down to his side to see that Leia was peacefully asleep. He couldn't be more thankful that she was finally getting some actual rest. It had been a long week and Leia had worn herself to the bone without hardly doing anything. Of course, he couldn't blame her; he was as confused and nervous as she was. He'd taken a step back to check on Leia, however, and he knew that he needed to be sturdy for her. Leia had always been strong and faced things head-on with a sense of fierce duty that was unparalleled to any ethic Han had ever seen. No matter what it was that she was facing, Leia kept a cool head about things, fought with her head, and spared her heart- but their current situation was something else and Han could see his wife teetering on the verge of her own breakdown. Whether things were to end well or not, Leia was losing her usual calm. Han just wanted to be able to help her keep a lid on the steaming kettle.

Regardless of what he had to say about it, Leia would deal with things in her own way. So far, she'd been displaying a desire for as much an explanation to their son's return as poor Master Cilghal could muster. That didn't add up to much, unfortunately. Now, she was desperate to be assured and little would put to rest her concerns. Part of Han was thankful for that. Just as much as she, Han wanted to be able to know that his son would make it, that Anakin would fully recover and have defeated death.

The thought made his eyes sting with tears. That day had been the worst in his life. It had been horrible losing a child. When he'd heard Leia screaming from across the apartment, he hadn't known what to think, what to fear. He would never have expected that Leia had something to tell him that could shatter him. That would break them both. Nothing had ever shattered him like that and he'd been so afraid at that time that he wouldn't be able to pull back Leia as she had done for him.

So, of course, he wanted his son back. He wanted to crush Anakin in the biggest hug and tell him how much he loved him and that he had never forgiven himself for the things he'd said to him after Chewbacca's death. He wanted to put it all in the past, make all the wars go away, and have the time to love and cherish his family like he'd never been able to.

But, first, he needed to help his wife. The same fears that he felt plagued her and he hated watching her like this, so scattered and doubtful.

Please stop worrying so much, Princess, he silently begged her for all he was worth. He reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear and Leia- exhausted and out like a lamp- remained sleeping. I'm right here for you to fall back on. I'll hold you up.

She was lying on her stomach, the side of her face pressed against her pillow. Her cheeks were rosy with warmth and the arm she had half hidden underneath Han's pillow was covered in red marks from the olive and gray sheets of their bed. Han smiled, transfixed by her constant beauty, and kissed the tip of her nose. And, for a while, he just watched her, satisfied that she was sleeping so deeply and peacefully.

But then Han adjusted his position on the bed, shifting the mattress, and she woke up. Her eyes fluttered open, then came Han's favorite part- when her eyelids slowly opened to reveal her warm brown irises. Her gaze met his immediately and they both smiled at each other. Leia yawned and stretched out her arms and Han reached to take one of her outstretched hands into his. "Morning, Princess," he greeted softly, leering in closely. He tenderly kissed her awake, peppering her arm, shoulder and neck with the fluid movements of his mouth.

Leia moaned. "Good morning, flyboy."

"How did you sleep?"

"Very well!" She grabbed his face to hold him still. "You know, I think I've gotten so used to your snoring that I can't sleep without it."

"That's why you haven't slept in a week?"

Leia laughed. "Yes, that's all."

"You didn't miss me?"

Managing to keep a straight face, Leia shrugged and told him, "We both know that you're the one who can't survive a night without me."

"Alright. If that's what you think, Princess." Han dove in straight for her lips and Leia's hands quickly found his chest. She pulled him closer, closing the gap between their bodies.

"Someone missed me," Han said between kisses. Leia shook her head at him before occupying his lips once again. She held this one longer, deepening it-

Until she gasped against his mouth and quickly pushed him back. Her hands now planted firmly but somehow gently, she told him, "Amelia's going to wake up soon."

Han didn't sigh but quickly disentangled their legs. "Did you forget what it's like to have a little one around?"

"A little bit," she admitted. But mostly, I'm wondering how we ever managed."

"Sweetheart, I don't know what you're remembering, but I'm not sure that we ever did."

Leia paused halfway through pulling on some pants to give her husband a look. "Han, the twins weren't a year old before I was pregnant again."

Han tilted his head. "That's right . . ."

Now standing across the room by their dresser, Leia sighed as she stepped into a white, gray, and sky blue skirt and hiked the thick band up to her waist. "You must be getting older," she smiled. "If you're already forgetting."

"See, you think you're funny . . ."

"If I'm not, then you should stop smiling."

Han shook his head. "What are you doing, sweetheart?"

Leia paused in the middle of stuffing her arms through the sleeves of a blouse. "What? I'm just getting dressed."

"I can see that, sweetheart. That's why I'm asking. You haven't even showered yet."

Leia looked away. "Oh." She shrugged, pulled her shirt over her head, then went to the closet to grab a bottle of perfume. "Well, I'll skip today."

Han gave her a choked-off laugh as he rose out of bed and crossed the room to stop her. "I'm trying to remember the last time you skipped the sanisteam." Leia didn't remind him that the last time hadn't been that long ago because she'd neglected taking a shower the day before Jaina had left to kill Caedus.

Han took her face into his hands and gingerly kissed the forehead. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing. I just- I need to get back to the medward. Anakin-"

"Will be fine. Cilghal and Tekli are watching over him."

Willingly, Leia fell into his embrace, leaning forward to press herself against Han's body; her head rested comfortably on his chest. "I still can't believe it, Han. I'm afraid that if I'm gone too long, he won't be there when I get back. I have to see him. I have to see that he's still there, otherwise it's all just a dream. And we aren't getting him back. I need him back."

"He's still there, sweetheart."

Leia gently pushed herself out of Han's hold to look up and hold his gaze. Her eyes were shattered and vulnerable as she asked, "How do you know?"

Without sighing, Han stroked her cheek. He took her hand and brought her back to bed. From the nightstand on his side, Han grabbed his commlink and he keyed in a particular frequency. It rang only once before Master Cilghal answered. "Hello, Captain Solo? May I help you?"

Squeezing his wife's hand, Han asked over the comm, "Hi, Cilghal. I apologize if I'm interrupting your time, but I just wanted to check in. How's my son?"

Cilghal gave a sort of sigh of relief- like gentle laughter. "Of course, Han. Anakin is still doing well. In fact, his scans are looking much better and his amphistaff injury is healing well with the bacta treatment. I'm very hopeful."

"He's still alive?"

"Of course."

"Alright. Thank you, Cilghal." Han hung up, directing a reassuring smile Leia's way. "How about that?"

Leia pursed her lips. "I need to see him."

Han smiled. He leaned forward to leave a kiss on Leia's neck. "I always knew you were going to be the greatest mother."

Han's words of praise won the lightest smile on Leia's lips. She brought up a hand to caress Han's face- like a small display of gratitude. "I have to worry about them. It's my job."

"I'm not telling you to stop. I just think that you should let yourself rest for a while."

She shook her head. "I have to worry. I have to know what's going on." She suddenly switched her seating position, scooting closer to Han and sitting on her knees. She rested her hands on his legs while she spoke to him. "This shouldn't be happening and you know it. As amazing as this is, I don't know what to do. I have to know what's going on because my biggest fear is that it isn't real. I am terrified that this is all just a wishful dream and when I wake up, it will all be gone. Han, I am terrified that we'll lose him again."

Han silenced her the most efficient way he knew how: he swept in and kissed her. He made it delicate, softly brushing his lips across hers. Instinctively, Leia's replied in dance and she moaned in relief from her stresses as Han whisked them away. Leia felt light and airy; she floated above the physical world with Han- a place away from all her worries where only Han could take her. And she savored it.

But then he slowly broke away and Leia found herself leaning forward just slightly, silently begging him to come back. Even after all these years, Leia could never get enough. A sad sort of disappointment filled her as she realized that Han was done, but he tipped her chin back up and grabbed her gaze with only a look. "I know, Princess. Trust me, I know."

Those were Han's words and few other words could calm Leia so. At once, she relaxed just enough to regain something of a composure. She folded into Han's embrace, tucking her head under his chin. For him, she tried to push her fears aside, but they persisted. "I lost my baby boy once," she cried. "I can't lose him again."

Han wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her close but gently and comfortably in his arms, close to himself. His other hand stroked her head, combing through her greasy hair. "Sweetheart."

"Yes, dear?"

"You need to take a sanisteam."

Leia pushed away. When she looked back at Han, she had a brow raised high at him. She slapped a hand against his stomach and got up. "I'm going to use the sanisteam."

Han jumped off their bed, slipping his hands around her waist. "Hang on! I'm coming with you."

* * *

The part she feared the most was the tangibility.

Tahiri Veila was not a hurricane of emotions or even the distressed river flooding the innocent plains. Rather, she was the bare, weak tree standing along the bank, hoping the sand and silt would be enough to keep her planted firmly. In all honesty, Tahiri didn't know what her silt was, or if she had any. So, she had to rely on herself to stay standing upright.

Leia's words flew through her over and over again, speeds exceeding hundreds of kilometers per minute. She wanted to dismiss it all, wanted to label Leia's claims as delusional, pity the poor woman for her loss, and get on with her day; but it played like a constant mantra, stuck in her head. She'd hardly slept the night before, the same blurred thoughts marching loudly through her head. It shouldn't be possible, she shouldn't even consider it, but the Force itself wouldn't let it go and it refused to let her mind wander anywhere else.

He. Is. Back.

Leia certainly hadn't seemed delusional. Sure, she'd been near delirious with joy, but her aura had seemed greatly conflicted. Her excitement took center stage, but she too seemed so confused, lost, fearful. It was like she truly couldn't decide what to think, what to feel.

Tahiri, slowly easing herself back into a healthy relationship with the Force, had searched Leia's words, feeling her hands across the subtle vibrations, examining their pattern. From what she could tell, Leia hadn't told her a single lie.

He is back.

Tahiri couldn't even be sure if she wanted this to be true. On one hand, of course she did! Anakin. Alive. Back. That was all she'd ever wanted. But- back? Now? After all that had happened? She swallowed, glancing down at her hands. After everything she'd done? But- having Anakin back had been all she'd wanted since he died. And now, it might be here.

The part she feared most was the tangibility. She feared it being real. She feared seeing him, touching him, coming to realize that he was actually there, skin, bones and all. Present. She was afraid of him being alive because she had no idea what to do. How was she supposed to handle it? What if he was different when he woke up? What if things weren't like they used to be? Tahiri had already been struggling with sorting out her and Anakin's relationship before he'd died.

It all had to be too amazing, though it didn't feel like it. This all felt very real, no dream-like state. Tahiri was wide awake while life was unfurling around her.

He is back, Leia had said to her only yesterday. She'd told her in a whisper, standing toe-to-toe with her, her Force aura still chaotically buzzing, setting everything else around her distraught. He is back.

She sighed. The years following Anakin's death had been torturous. Who was she kidding? Her chest had rejected breathing since the moment Anakin had exhaled his last. It had never stopped. The ache had never left. It had been long enough that Tahiri had learned to swim in her pain. She'd lived with it for so long, it had become her life's battle, the one thing she had to fight to stay alive.

She had been so young when Anakin was mercilessly taken from her life. She'd still been a child according to age, but her mind had borne as many scars as Anakin's and their maturity had allowed their childhood friendship to quickly blossom into an actual love. First, when Anakin had returned to Yavin IV during the Vong War, Tahiri, a newly-minted teenager, found herself feeling different things for her best friend that went beyond their lifelong bond. Master Ikrit had once expressed the bond he saw between them- the potential. They were better together, stronger.

Then, Tahiri became familiar with the war raging around them. The tragedy sank its claws into her shoulders, tortured her, reformed her into something she was terrified of being. But Anakin had found her, been there. She wasn't afraid of becoming anyone else with him around. And her feelings for him had evolved from a teenager's crush to something just beneath love.

Anakin had become a constant for her, and an anchor. He was always there, always lifting her up, always feeding her the strength only he could give her. The following months Tahiri and Anakin had greatly spent together and it was during that time that their relationship continued to transform until it was manifested in the form of a mature love. No matter how young they had both been, Tahiri had loved Anakin and he in return her. Tahiri had truly loved Anakin Solo, been in love with him, the real deal, life mate thing. Until Anakin had been taken from her. The truth of the matter, however, was that Tahiri had never stopped loving Anakin.

Tahiri stepped out of her sanisteam, wrapping a towel around herself as she padded out of the refresher and flicked the lights and steam control system off. With the buzzing of the working vents silenced, Tahiri paused, irked by the eerie silence occupying her home. Home. It hardly felt like any kind of home. This was just a place that Master Skywalker was allowing her to live in, mere quarters.

She blew a sigh through her nostrils, annoyed with herself.

Her dresser was sparsely filled; she owned nothing, but Mirax Horn had left a small stack of pants, camisoles, a pair of boots, a tunic and- her old Jedi robe. 'In case you need this anytime soon', the woman had scrawled on a small, ripped flimsi placed atop the clothes pile. Tahiri, understanding Mirax's innocent intentions, had smiled. Now, she put on the outfit given to her and stared at the tan robes, deciding whether she should put them on or not. After a few minutes of deep thought, she'd shaken her head, hidden them away in an empty drawer, and left it at that. To wear the robes of a Jedi would automatically label her as a Jedi. Tahiri was predicting the negative reaction to that. Even if the rest of the Order was perfectly fine with her sudden return, Tahiri knew that she still had yet to atone for her actions against the Order and her family and earn her place in the Order once again. Plus, it would be a dishonor to both her family and the Order to don the apparel of a Jedi so soon. That is something you must still earn again, she reminded herself as she shut the drawer.

Tahiri had nothing on her immediate agenda, so she slipped her lightsaber on a utility belt and walked to the commons area of the Jedi base. When she got there, breakfast was still being served to sleep-deprived pilots and starved Jedi. Tahiri didn't let her gaze wander around the crowd. The sight of old friends' looks trained on her would be too much. Not wanting to stop and ask someone for directions, she let the Force guide her in her search for Master Skywalker. Her instincts took her past the commons and down a short hall to a series of conference rooms. Each door was closed.

Groups of Jedi, Knights and Padawans alike, stood in scattered groups, conversing excitedly until many gazes were drawn to the blonde Jedi. Tahiri allowed her gaze to scroll across a few of the startled groups before she jerked herself back and took a breath.

There approached an older Knight whom Tahiri recognized. Danni Quee- who only looked slightly different, a little older and a little more worn- stepped forward, greeting her warmly as she offered a hug. "Hello, Tahiri. Master Skywalker is a bit preoccupied at the moment," she explained, gesturing behind her to the conference rooms. "Could I help you? Or, did you need him?"

"Are you sure? I could pass him a note later if you'd like-"

"No, it's fine. But thank you, Danni."

"Of course," she nodded, trying to stay assured. "Well, it's good to see you around again. Welcome back, Tahiri."

Tahiri responded softly with the polite 'thank you' and a short nod before she quickly left. Although, she didn't know where to go or what to do. Everyone she felt remotely comfortable around she figured to be busy with all these meetings. Though she didn't think that neither Leia nor Jaina were Masters yet, the Council probably dragged them both into every meeting anyway. And Han- well, Han Solo did what he pleased and probably strutted in following Leia every day. As for the dead friends she'd once had, Tahiri found no comfort in the idea of visiting them. She'd betrayed them, left them.

Tekli's words suddenly echoed in her head. When you are a friend, Tahiri, you are a good one.

Those words only filled her with more guilt. When I am a friend. I have not been a friend often enough. I should never have stopped. I should never have left like I did.

Not wanting to stand in the same spot, allowing people to stare at her, she began to wander, no sense of direction leading her. So she thought. She took several steps forward, a quick turn down one hallway leading to more corridors, less crowds. After a few more steps, she became mutely aware of the fact that she was following something. What, she did not yet know, but something like an even pulse began to guide her feet and send her slowly shuffling around. The walls seemed to blur even at her sluggish pace. Nothing stuck out to her, nothing was noticeable. It all passed by her as she continued on. She wasn't truly aware of anything until she came to a door, opened it and walked in.

The sight of his body broke her hypnotic state.

While she no longer trudged along, Tahiri was now stuck in a dazed, almost lifeless state. She was not aware of her own being, but wholly focused on the familiar figure lying unconscious in the bed. It was at this moment that she realized this was what had been leading her, guiding her, pulling her forward to her calling. The steady thrum of life, breathing, heart beating, chest rising and falling. Anakin. Living.

It had been so long. Oh, so long. So long apart, separated from everything she loved. It had been stolen from her, torn from her arms on Myrkr. But here he was- she checked her instincts, not the monitors- living and breathing. She gasped in relief, her lungs suddenly expanding like she'd never realized they'd collapsed on her. She couldn't breathe easy, but she hadn't before realized that breathing could be so much easier.

Hesitantly, she took a seat at his bedside. While the quiet beeping monitors and scanners certainly assured her, Tahiri took more comfort from her own observations. He didn't look awfully different, just . . . older, caught up with the forgotten years. His face bore a fine layer of stubble; Tahiri wasn't sure if she liked it there or not. His face was bruised and cut up. Maybe, Tahiri considered, he should have looked more different to her than he did, but Tahiri would recognize him anywhere. And his appearance, how she saw him now, only seemed right. This was definitely him- there was no denying it. Anakin was back.

Once she let herself admit that, instinct drove her to longing. As if no time had passed at all since the Myrkr mission, she wanted to kiss him, make up for the one she refused him. Instead, however, she settled for tracing her finger along his lips. She imagined him wearing that ridiculous, stomach-fluttering, lopsided grin of his. She painted that grin where it would interrupt his cheek, then dragged her finger down his chin, along his jaw, tickling against his new beard. She allowed herself a euphoric smile. The beard was something she could definitely get used to.

From there, she let her hand wander, gently grazing across his shoulder, down his arm. She peeled back his thin blankets to see the wound that was detailed on his report. His side was heavily bandaged and wrapped over, hiding a gouged-out amphistaff wound- she already knew. Just like on Myrkr. Except, the outcome this time was to be very different. They were on a civilized planet- well, they had resources. A medcenter, medical resources, Master Cilghal. He would be fine.

He would be fine.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a new presence near and the door to Anakin's room opened to let in Anakin's own sister Jaina Solo. Tahiri didn't jump, but inhaled sharply, surprised. She couldn't find any words, any greeting as Jaina peeked her head in. She couldn't find the words to explain her presence here. Although, Jaina didn't appear to be very surprised by it. Her look remained impassive. She gave a quick wave as she stepped in, glancing around. "Is my mom here?" she asked, her first words.

Tahiri blinked. "Uh, no." She craned her neck. "Is she supposed to be here?"

Jaina shook her head. "I just thought I'd check here first. She's- been spending a lot of time here lately."

Tahiri nodded. "Of course."

"Well, I should go find her." Her eyes followed her brother where he lay, still unconscious, on the medbed as she left. "Bye, Tahiri."

Tahiri nodded again, still dumb stricken. "Bye."

And Jaina left without another word.

Once she recovered from the surprise intrusion, Tahiri's gaze fell back to Anakin. "So," she spoke aloud to him, thrusting a hand through his tousled hair. "You're here again."

* * *

 **AN:** So, Anakin still hasn't woken up. I'm surprised nobody's complained yet. Well, thanks, everyone, for reading and please take a minute to feed my starving review box!


	7. Chapter 7

"It's insane enough to just see him there," Jaina cried. She _hated_ crying. She hated it especially when she couldn't hide it from others. But he somehow made it okay. "I want to be there for my parents- for Mom especially, but . . ." She searched for the words.

"It's hard," he finished for her, simply because, sometimes, the best words are the simplest ones.

She nodded, lifting her shoulders as he brought his finger to softly tickle the skin of her neck. "It's hard. It's hard looking at him because all I can think about is talking to him again and he's going to have all these questions and we'll have to answer them- and then I'll have to tell him about Jacen. And I don't think Mom and Dad have started thinking that far yet."

"Relax for now, Jay. You don't even know if he'll be waking up soon. You still have time to breathe."

"That's all the advice you've got?" She playfully punched him in the stomach and he grimaced but smiled, capturing her fist in his much larger one. "You're supposed to help me. Tell me what to do to avoid the coming speeder crash."

"I don't think that's possible."

Jaina sighed. "That's what I was afraid of. So? What do I do?"

"Jaina, no insurmountable supply of wisdom could save you and your family from the speeder crash that's headed for you. It's like the motorized toy speeders that run on the ground. When one of them slips, there's no stopping it. You'll just have to suffer the crash and get it over with."

"You know, I came to you hoping for some wiser words and a solution to all my problems- not my next death sentence."

"I'm sorry." He kissed her cheek. "But, because of my eternal and infinite wisdom, I am obliged to be real with you."

"Yeah. That's why."

"Jay, I promise that I will be right here to support you, but I can't lie to you. You already know it as well as I do; there is no smooth path to take. It's going to be ugly and unpleasant, but you'll get over it."

She nodded shortly, slipping back into her own thoughts. "They fought all the time but Anakin always looked up to Jace. He never said it out loud but he wanted to be just like him. Since he could talk, he wanted to be just like Uncle Luke and when we were older that's what he thought Jacen was going to be. It made him jealous. He wanted to be Uncle Luke. He wanted to be Jacen.

"I don't think he ever fully realized what hopes and expectations we had stored in him. Or that Jacen envied him."

"Two brothers who were fighting for the same fate. I always believed it was Anakin's. Not to slight Jacen, but I think everyone did."

"I know. And Jacen knew. He came to terms with it in time. I guess I've always liked to believe that was why he named his big Star Destroyer after him. I know Caedus didn't name that ship. He probably resented it. But he knew that Anakin was supposed to be someone bigger than life. He was supposed to be the next Luke Skywalker on a level that neither of us could be. He accepted it. Maybe after Anakin was already dead, but he came to understand it. Funny thing that is, I guess. We both always felt like there was something wrong about Anakin's death. Besides our grief, it always felt like it was so wrong that he died. We both knew that wasn't supposed to be his fate. It was too wrong . . . Unfinished."

"So you believe that when he wakes up- he still has a full life ahead of him?"

"No one is guaranteed a full life. Anakin's was ripped from him, but I do believe that- however it happened- the Force allowed him to come back to life for that reason. And, yes, I do believe that my little brother still has lots to do for this galaxy. He's Luke Skywalker- and something of his own that goes beyond that we will never understand. Uncle Luke was counting on Anakin taking his place."

"And, maybe, now he will."

* * *

"Han?"

"Shhh." Han's hand came up to stroke her hair. "Go back to sleep."

"But-"

"Anakin is still sleeping. You should too."

With some hesitation, Leia settled back into his lap. "Han?"

"What is it, Princess?"

In a sleepy slur, she said, "I love you."

Han smiled. "I know."

* * *

"Master Cilghal?" Danni Quee crept down the silent halls, peering across each corridor. The Force buzzed softly ahead of her and her senses were slightly alarmed. "Master Cilghal, I have the reports from-" She interrupted herself with a hopeless sigh, turning to go back down the hall.

"She must not be down here," Seha Dorvald offered, glancing into the viewing panes of doors.

Danni smiled, amused. "The one time I need to speak with her and she isn't in her office."

"Her or Jedi Tekli."

"Hm." She started down the hall when she noticed one medroom door that was cracked open. "Oh! I wonder if she just has ysalamiri near her. She must be in that room."

Seha nodded in consideration, already moving to further open the door. "Master- Oh! Sithspawn!"

"Jedi Dorvald!"

"I'm sorry, Jedi Quee, but you've got to see this!"

"Seha, is Master Cilghal in there or not?"

"She isn't, Danni, but you should see who is."

* * *

Grand Master Skywalker's morning commute began very differently than he'd been imagining. His time was free for his own pleasure and he'd been planning on briefly making his usual rounds between different masters and apprentices then checking on his sister and nephew. Oh, who was he kidding? His brother-in-law required a caring eye too.

However, Luke didn't even get to enjoying a steaming mug of caf in his office in peace before matters of the Order required his attention. He'd just sat down with his mug, the caf maker running quietly on one wall. His comm rang and he patiently answered it. "Master Horn, how may I help you?"

"Luke, we've got problems." Corran's voice was urgent- as urgent as he would allow it to get-together and forewarning. "There's a rumor flying around the Order and the Council is in an uproar. They've set their own meeting."

"A rumor?" At once, Luke became concerned. He didn't like this sort of immaturity spreading throughout the Order. Every Jedi was entitled to uphold the expectations and decency of a Jedi, a standard that had remained for centuries since the original Order's beginning. The Council members' inclusion further upset Luke. He already didn't like the sounds of this. "Corran, what's going on?"

"Danni Quee and Seha Dorvald found Anakin's body."

In less than five minutes, Luke arrived at the Council room, a spacious area, but the room was packed with people. Boisterous noise filled the room as the people squabbled and argued in loud tones. Luke could have sworn aloud. To make himself heard, he amplified his voice with the Force, booming across the room, "Silence! This room is reserved for the Masters of the Council unless one is invited in. What are you all doing here?"

The room quickly emptied until only eleven remained. The Mon Cal Master Cilghal stood in the center of the room, her features the most alarmed and weary Luke had ever seen them- she looked so shocked. Everyone else stood around her, faces painted over with scattered looks.

"Master Horn said that you all organized a meeting?"

Quietly, Tionne confirmed, "Yes, Master."

"Well, where are the Solos? We always have them."

"Yes, Master, but we all thought it better if- we keep them out of this one."

Luke frowned. "My sister and niece may only be Knights but they are two of the most valuable and honored members of the Order. And the Council. You must have good reason for this decision."

"Actually, Grand Master," Kyle Katarn stepped forward. "We fear their reactions to a rumor that has cropped up. It pertains to your nephew."

Passive, Luke asked, "Which one? Both of them are gone, with the Force."

"That's what we find interesting," Master Hammer began. From behind him, Saba Sebatyne hissed, her tongue flicking between her pebbled lips. "Master Skywalker, Jedi Quee and Dorvald came to us claiming to have seen the body of Anakin Solo."

Octa Ramis burst, "But we know this is impossible! Was it not you, Master, that lit the flames of his funeral pyre on Hapes?"

"Yes, I did."

"Then, what more is there to discuss?"

"The problem is that Master Cilghal refuses to say anything about this," Hamner said, his eyes narrowed.

Appearing rather annoyed, Kam Solusar shook his head from where he sat with his wife. "What reason has Master Cilghal ever given us not to trust her, Hamner?"

"But shouldn't she have something to say about this? At the very least, a straightforward 'no' would suffice."

"I should think it hardly matters!" Kyp Durron was quick to object from the other side of the room, his eyes big and bright with an odd panic. "Whatever happens in the medward is a matter of doctor and patient confidentiality. Is it anyone's business to know who or what was in that room? For all we know, it was dark down there and Seha could have been looking at a dummy.

"Besides that," he added, "It's preposterous! Do you hear yourselves? Are you really concerned about a reported sighting of Anakin Solo's dead body in the medward?"

"Are you saying that Jedi Quee is not trustworthy?"

"Everyone, stop!" Luke held up a hand to bring order to the assembled group. "I am sure there is a good explanation to this-"

Cilghal caught his gaze. "The confidentiality of such scenarios is rendered meaningless in light of my obligation to the Council," she said. She was asking him. Luke wavered on his feet. "Perhaps, this is a meeting the Solos should attend."

* * *

 **AN** : Another short chapter, but I hope everyone's still enjoying!


	8. Chapter 8

I just realized that it's been a week since I posted Chapter 7. So, update time!

* * *

Han woke from the luxurious throes of slumber to his comm vibrating and buzzing on the nightstand, casting a faint and yellow notifying light. He was about to sit up when he remembered Leia lying asleep on top of him, her head resting on his chest. Han held her head there so she wouldn't move while he reached a hand to his side, grabbing for the comm. "Hello? he grumbled, making it clear that he had been awoken and he was not happy about it.

"Han, I need you and Leia in the Council room right now," his brother-in-law responded with his usual calm.

"Mm, okay, but we're not ready."

"You're not- what? Why not? What are you doing?"

On cue, Leia stirred on Han's chest, stretching her legs as she woke. "Well, we were sleeping."

"You sure were sleeping in late."

"Well, we got a late start."

"Nevermind. I don't need to hear anymore. Can you and Leia just head over here? We've got to do some damage control."

"What's up?"

"Someone happened to find Anakin's room in the medward."

"What?!"

"Jedi Knights Dorvald and Quee happened to stumble upon Anakin's room when they were looking for Master Cilghal yesterday. The Order thinks it's some kind of conspiracy and the Council is going absurd."

"Kriff! We're coming."

Han got up quickly and Leia nearly fell off the bed. "Han?"

"I hate to wake you but it's time to get up, sweetheart."

She groaned, twisting her body in the blankets. "I thought we'd decided to ignore everyone's calls this week. We're playing the grief card, remember?"

"Yeah, but I was just reminded why we can never do that. Luke needs us."

"Luke always needs us. Did you remind him that he has a son? Kids are great for this kind of stuff."

"Unless you want Ben trying to explain to the entire Jedi Order why Seha and Danni saw Anakin's body in the medward, I would rethink that."

That jarred Leia's attention and she sprang out of bed, tossing the blankets off to the side. "Is he okay?"

"Sweetheart, I'm sure he's fine. Right now, we gotta' worry about performing some damage control."

* * *

"But how can you be positive it was Anakin Solo? You said that you both hurried out of the room. Did you reach into the Force to analyze whatever you were seeing?"

"Well, no, Master, but-"

"And how much did he really look like Anakin? Did he look exactly the same?"

Danni Quee was fighting the urge to glare daggers at Master Durron as he fired this obvious question like she and Seha didn't know what had happened. None of the other Council Masters were objecting, so Danni answered,"No, he did not appear identical to the late Anakin. But he looked just like him. Say, he looked like how I might imagine how Anakin would appear now were he not dead. I wouldn't say he was any taller. He had the same hair color, that mix between blonde and brunette. And he had a few months' worth of a beard and mustache. Lastly, I do remember seeing that his side was bandaged." Danni wrapped a hand just above her hip to illustrate. "The blanket was pulled down so that I could see. If you will remember, Master, I believe you even saw Anakin's body at his funeral on Hapes. He died of an amphistaff wound to the side."

"What is this?" Jaina muttered to her parents as they cautiously entered the large room. "A trial?" She stepped forward, nearly to the center of the room where Danni stood. At once, all but Corran Horn and Kyp Durron added to the room's growing discomfort via the Force. Danni swallowed but didn't step back.

"My little brother didn't die of that amphistaff wound, by the way. He had several other injuries and was running on the very last ounces of energy and life that he had. It was a combination of his injuries and the pure Force energy he was emitting." She turned on her heel to face Durron. "Now, Master, just what is this?"

"Jedi Quee? Care to explain?"

The poor woman looked so frightened and sick with the Solos now in the room. Nevertheless, she took in a shaky breath and insisted, "I can't explain myself any further but I still stand by my word. I can't simply brush away what I saw."

From the other far side of the room, Master Hamner stepped forward, his arms firmly crossed over his chest. "Captain and Jedi Solos, what do you make of this? Dorvald and Quee claim-"

Luke raised a hand and, begrudgingly, the other Jedi silenced himself, stepping back. "I am sure that the Jedi Solos and Han have been made aware of the situation. Would you like to speak or not?"

A pregnant, unbearable silence came into being from one end of the conference room to the other. The Council Masters waited, their faces bearing more anxiety than a Jedi Master ought to. Corran's nervousness was palpable and he did little to hide it, watching Han and Leia and earnestly trying to offer them feelings of support. Kyp was impassive, seemingly unperturbed by the room's tension, his gaze flicking between Jaina and her parents. Luke was Luke, the calm, collected, levelheaded Grand Master. Leia drew heavily upon him for support and he happily provided.

Leia, who held onto her husband's arm like a life raft, looked up to meet his gaze and they remained still and silent in their own moment for a while, blocking out everyone else around them. Then, Han gave a subtle nod and, together, they took Danni's place in the center of the room. "Han and I have been made aware of this rumor- and we've come to put everyone's confusion to rest. . . . . We aren't sure how it happened or even what happened, but after Darth Caedus died . . . we found our younger son's body there. He was alive. Anakin is alive."

The discomfort did not necessarily break with this revelation. Rather, the Masters didn't know how to respond and turned their disoriented expressions on each other. Nor did either Danni or Seha seem victorious but just as shocked as the rest.

Cilghal joined the Solos where they stood and began to address the crowd. "I have spent the last week working to come up with an idea to explain this but even I am lost. Perhaps, with this confirmation, the Council would like to help me?"

"Whoa, slow down, Master." Katarn held up a hand. "If Captain and Jedi Solo don't mind, do you think we could see the body for ourselves?"

Leia shrugged and nodded. "Of course."

Cilghal commend Tekli and the Chadra'Fan moved Anakin behind a viewing pane in the medward. The Council gathered on the other side, watching in awe as Tekli brought up Anakin's vitals to a large display and showed them his beating heart and comatose, even breaths. A collective gasp sounded in synchronization. From the other end of the group, Luke looked to his sister, caught her eye and smiled. Leia returned his relieved beam just as she sensed a serene presence discreetly join the gathered group, sneaking up from behind her and Han. Leia looked just past her shoulder to see Tahiri. "Hi, Tahiri. What are you doing here? Are you sure you want to see this?"

The blonde woman frowned at her. "What are you talking about? Of course, I'm fine. I- I've already seen him. Did Jaina not tell you?"

Leia and Han swung their gazes to their daughter who merely smirked. "I thought you deserved your quiet moment alone," she told Tahiri. "I felt bad for interrupting it."

Tahiri shook her head. "It's fine, you're fine. I got my moment."

"And?" Leia probed gently. "How do you feel?"

Tahiri could only shake her head.

"You're alright, kid," Han soothed, patting her back. "We've got ya'."

She smiled lightly.

"So, no one has any idea how this happened?" Hamner broke the silence, slowly turning to face the group. "He just- appeared?"

"I have no definitive explanation to what happened," Cilghal said, "but I've started to think that we might have Caedus to thank."

Leia and Han shifted uncomfortably.

"Flow walking. Of course!"

Cilghal's bulbous eyes bulged even more as her gaze fell to Kyp. "Master Durron, how did you come up with that? I only just came up with this theory."

"Well, I apologize, Master Cilghal, but I just thought it was kind of obvious. What else could explain this?"

"Alright, then why don't you explain it to the Council."

Kyo actually laughed. "No, I'm sorry, Master. I believe this is your area of expertise."

Cilghal seemed to be growing flustered by this interruption, but she pushed it away and continued. "I considered that it must have to be related to something happening in the biodisposal room where Anakin's body appeared and that was also where Jedi Solo and Darth Caedus were dueling. I spoke with Jaina and she explained to me how the duel had stopped, replaced by a windstorm." She looked to Jaina for confirmation.

"The best way I can explain it, it was a maelstrom. There was this wind that took over. When it ended, Anakin was lying there and Caedus was gone. But I felt him die."

"You're proposing that Caedus used flow walking while Jaina was trying to kill him and brought Anakin back to life on purpose?" Kam Solusar asked this and he looked flabbergasted.

Kyp shook his head. "Caedus certainly didn't do this on purpose. I would have to guess that he was attempting some sort of technique to appear like Anakin by connecting with him in the past. This would have been in order to vex Jaina, distract her, then deliver the final blow. Unfortunately for Caedus, his little trick failed. Instead of connecting with Anakin, he switched their places, transporting Anakin to our present and causing himself to die in Anakin's place on Myrkr."

"You sure sound like you've thought about this," Leia spoke up.

Kyp didn't respond with as much shock as Leia had been hoping for. Still, he hesitated, cocking a brow at her. "Well, what Cilghal is saying just makes sense."

"Right."  
Hamner sighed. "I just wish we knew more about flow-walking to understand half of what Caedus was trying to accomplish with it. The more we hear about this technique, the more uneasy I feel. Where did he learn about it? What all was he trying to do with it? Is there anyone else he may have shared his knowledge of the technique with?"  
"It's no fighting technique," Tahiri spoke up, surprising Leia. Immediately, all eyes settled on her, wide and expectant. "I can tell you that much. It's not meant to be a battle technique. It's a torment technique. I don't know the answers to all your questions- I don't even know exactly how Caedus brought Anakin back. I suppose Masters Cilghal and Durron's theory makes sense. I can share my experiences of the technique, however."  
Saba looked at her carefully, her scales rippling with empathy. "Your experience?"  
She shifted uncomfortably. "I'd rather not share in front of this entire group."  
Luke waved a hand, dismissing the discussion. "Jedi-er, Miss Veila has already shared some of that with me. None of that if the Council's business. Master Cilghal, do you have anything else to share with us?"

"Unfortunately, that is all I have to present. Now, if you don't all mind," Cilghal said and pushed her way to the viewing room's door. "It's time I tend to this patient." She disappeared inside and the group slowly broke up. They all passed the Solos and Tahiri. Corran nodded to them, then squeezed Tahiri's shoulder before he left. With wet eyes, the Solusars offered their support, hugging Han and Leia. "How wonderful! You both must be so thankful," was passed along in several forms before nearly the whole Council had given their hugs and slowly drained down the hall. Kyp was the last to go and Leia hurried to chase him and grab his collar before he went anywhere. She suddenly burst, "Kyp, how did you already know?"

"Pardon? Leia, you're choking me!"

Leia let go and the man nearly collapsed to the floor. "How did you already know about Anakin? We certainly didn't tell you!"

"You think I knew about this? Thought the idea had just casually occurred to me?"

"Don't lie to me! How did you know?"

"Mom." Jaina spoke firmly but her touch was gentle as she started to steer her down the hall. "Come on. We haven't had breakfast yet."

* * *

"Why don't I get to come?"  
Leia smoothed back her granddaughter's black-dyed hair and left a kiss there before she passed. Allana had been living with her and Han for just about two weeks now, and Leia couldn't get over it. She and Han had a granddaughter and they'd known about her for only a mere few months. She was already five. The moment that Leia had come to realize who the Hapan princess was in relation to her and Han, the girl had become as precious to her as her own children had. It amazed her that this adorable little girl was her son's daughter, making her a grandmother. Of course, at her age and Jaina's and Jacen's, she'd begun to wonder when either of her grown children would start to consider their own futures with a family and which twin would be the first to give their parents a grandchild. In all honesty, Leia had long thought- before he died- that Anakin would. But her elder son had snuck this huge detail to his life under her nose and the reveal had been whipped out from under her feet. Nevertheless, Leia had been overjoyed when Allana had verbally connected the dots for her. You're Jacen's mommy. He's my daddy.

The transition was smoother than Leia had predicted. She had no problem accustoming herself to the role of a grandmother- it was all just natural. Acting as a mother was even easier if albeit just a little rusty. To Leia, it felt like finding an old dress in her closet, putting it on and finding it still fits after so many years. She loved being a mother, and she loved having the time to be Allana's, but her heart ached for Tenel Ka who had risked everything to give her daughter's life a chance and was willing to be separated from her for that chance. It was something Leia understood all too well, though it felt strange to be standing on the other side of that wall. Now she and Han were Allana's caretakers.

"Sweetie, we would love to bring you with but we're not so sure that's a great idea," Leia began carefully. "He won't know who you are and we don't want to overwhelm him."

"When he wakes up, though, I promise you'll get to see him soon after we do," Han promised her. He took her empty plate from the table and handed her a napkin. "I'm sure he'll be really excited to meet you, kid." Allana smiled, satisfied with her grandfather's response. "Now, why don't you get washed up before we turn on Perre Needmo for the night."

Allana's face brightened and she jumped out of her chair. "Are you going to make hot chocolate for us again?"

"Sure thing, kid. But you better hurry up." Giggling, the small girl hurried off.

* * *

"You like it, don't you?" Jaina asked her parents with a smile as she helped them clean up the table from dinner. "Being parents again."

Leia frowned. "I miss when you were that little. It went by too quickly and we didn't get to enjoy enough of it."

Jaina shrugged, letting her mother take her into a hug. She'd noticed that her mother's displays of affection in the forms of hugging and kissing her had grown much more frequent since her Caedus's death. In two weeks, Jaina had received more hugs and cheek kisses from her mother than she had all her life, she was sure. Her father seemed to be noticing too. Jaina didn't mind; in fact she cherished it and gave all the love she had into each hug. Sometimes, she tried to remember to offer a hug or kiss her mother's cheek before Leia could. She'd managed this three times in the last two days.

"We've already missed five years with her," her father said with just a little bitterness seeping into his tone. He took a stack of plates from Leia, telling her, "I'm going to go wash these. I've got some dishes to catch up on."

She nodded, taking a dish rag and wiping down the dining table.

"Mom," Jaina swallowed. She braced her arms against the table, the end opposite where Leia was working. "There's something I need to talk to you about. It has to do with today's meeting."

Leia paused her work, surprised only due to her daughter's tone. "Okay," she said, "Is everything alright? Do you need me to call Dad out-?"

"No!" Jaina answered too quickly. She calmed herself with a long breath. "I wanted to talk to you first. I thought things might go better this way." Leia said no more, just nodded slowly, waiting for her to continue. "I needed to tell you that- I broke up with Jag."

Leia froze.

"For good."

It was a few seconds before she even blinked. She set down her wash cloth and turned to face her daughter, regulating how much of her surprise showed on her face. "For good? What happened, sweetie? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Really, it happened quickly and it's done. I'm okay."

"When did it happen? What happened?"

"I broke up with Jag shortly before I left for Mandalore."

Leia's face was overtaken by another sweep of shock. "That long already?"

"He wasn't really supporting me. He didn't understand what I was going through, what I was about to do and that I needed his support for it. He had no idea what I was going through and he couldn't support me through any of it. It made everything that was happening ten times worse. I couldn't tolerate that for much longer."

"So you broke up again."

"Yes, again. This time, though, I'm not going back."

Jaina didn't miss the relief that swept through her mother. Turned away, Jaina cracked a smile. She took the rag from Leia and wiped at her own chair. "I also started another relationship."

"Oh, honey. Take it easy! Give yourself a break! You deserve to-"

"I know, Mom. I wasn't planning on any of it, but it all just happened. I-" she sighed. "A small part of the reason I broke up with Jag was also to start this new relationship. He made me realize that I could have a lot better than what Jag offering me. He gave me the support that I needed. He still is."

Leia looked up slowly as the whole puzzle slid together. Jaina recognized the understanding as it came over her and she realized exactly what had happened, what Jaina had done. "You told Kyp."  
Jaina only nodded.

Her mouth fell open slowly as though she were just looking for the words to say but then realized that she had none. Jaina waited a long moment, gauging her reaction in her facial expression, waiting for the next word. There was none.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but you and Dad were both so distracted by what had happened to Jacen and it took you a long time to accept that he was actually gone. And then we found out that he killed Aunt Mara and I was trying to figure my own things out and I just didn't think it was a good time to throw that on you and Dad. I wasn't sure how either of you would take it, if it would upset you or . . ."

Leia broke enough out of her shock to quip, "Well, I like him more than Jagged."

Jaina laughed boisterously. "I do too."

"Just give me a minute to recollect myself," she further joked, but quickly turned serious. "How long have you been together with him?"

"We got together after I broke up with Jag and before I left for Mandalore. We stayed in contact while I was away. So, we've been in a relationship for a couple months already."

"But Jag has still been- around. He was there when we were getting you off the Anakin."

"We agreed to keep up the public image until Jag can tell his family. He commend me just yesterday- he's heading for Csilla tomorrow. By next week, everything will be done. It won't be a huge fanfare announcement on the HoloNet. We'll just stop showing up at things together and people will eventually get the hint. Now, it's just- me and Kyp."

"You," Leia muttered, "and Kyp."

"Mom, please actually say something. What do you think?"

"What does it matter what I think? You're a grown woman. I couldn't have stopped you from seeing Jag even though I wanted to. I can tell you what I think, but it matters more what you think, how you feel."

"Just tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm thinking that I'm very surprised. This seems to be coming from out of the blue."

"It is, but it's no less genuine."

"Tell me what you think. How did this start?"

"He'd heard from Katarn that I wanted to find Fett, he told me. He came to me to talk, asked me how I was. It was just a conversation- until Jag and I talked it over a second time and I noticed all the differences in talking to him and talking to Kyp." She gave a laughing smile, busying her hands with the edge of a chair. "It's canny how well Kyp understands. Everything that I'm going through, that I was preparing to do, Kyp- it was the story of his life. He understood how I felt, how I needed him to treat me, talk to me, what I needed. And he could be anything I needed at any given moment. It felt better when I talked to him. The pain, the anxiety, the fear, he could turn it down for me. He could relax me. He reminded me that he knew exactly what I was dealing with. That's what I need."

"And how do you know that's what you will need tomorrow or the next day or the day after?"

"Because someone who understands me like Kyp does will always be what I need."

Leia looked at her daughter with an approving smile, like her question required a specific answer and Jaina had given the right one. "You're going to have to tell your father about this." Jaina made a face to which her mother laughed. "You might be surprised how he reacts. He'll probably take you out for frozen cream like you're a kid again just for breaking up with Jag."

Jaina smiled amusedly.

"I just have one more thing to ask you. You told him about Anakin how long ago?"

"As soon as we got back."

"You haven't told him about Allana, have you?"

"If he knows, then he actually figured it out for himself."

"Thank you!" Leia gave her a kiss this time, pressing it quickly to Jaina's temple before she hurried off to kitchen. Jaina still felt the emanating waves of relief she'd left behind- and with it, a sense of joy that her mother felt for her. She was surprised but smiled at the unexpected, reassuring herself with it.

* * *

 _You need to help Tekli. I'll be along._

 _Soon then._

 _Kiss Tahiri for me._

 _He tossed the grenade, pushed it closer, closer._

 _I can't hold on any longer-_

Then, seconds later-

Like rising from a deep, unearthed grave, he came to. Light beamed brightly where darkness felt like it had been eternal. Sounds and feelings returned to existence. The beeps of monitors, a steady, rhythmic pulse, a heartbeat. A soft cloth enveloping, light and warm. Muffled speaking in relaxed tones nearby.

Anakin Solo woke up.

* * *

 **AN:** Please don't leave me! I'm begging you! I'm a shameless Jyp shipper- I can't help it! Look, I've tried writing J/J before and I can't. I just can't. I hate Jag so much, I just can't write him. This won't be an essential part of the plot either, Anakin will always be the main focus, so please don't leave me over this!


	9. Chapter 9

Alas! An update has arrived! Here's an anxiety-filled chapter for your Sunday.

* * *

It felt just like it had the moment he'd been born. She'd been up so long, so tired, so exhausted when Han cried out. He whooped in her ear, squeezing her hand repeatedly while she fell back against the pillows. _He's here, Princess!_ he'd cheered her. _He's here!_ Then, the fruit of her long and grinding labor was shown to her; he came into the world screaming and kicking but Leia's heart bloomed with love and an indescribable joy at the sight. She felt something almost the same now, but with it was an overwhelming nervousness that sent Leia's limbs into a slight convulsion. Her anxiety and shock were only emphasized when the familiar presence suddenly reached out and deliberately _touched_ her. She gasped aloud but only earned her husband's attention when her body smacked against the floor.

* * *

"It went better than I'd expected," Jaina surmised. "She wasn't upset or disappointed. She was actually happy for me, albeit a little wary."

Kyp shrugged. He stood across his office, bracing his arms against his desk. "I think that's the best we could have hoped for."

Jaina smirked at him. "I don't think my mom hates you anymore."

"That would be nice," Kyp imagined with a nod.

"I think it just puts her on edge that we're together but she's just protective. She wants the very best for me, to know that I'm safe. She doesn't realize it, but she's been like this since Anakin died. I'm imagining how worse it might get now that Jacen's gone." She shook her head abruptly to veer herself back on track. "Anyway, it's you. She might be more used to the Kyp Durron who picked fights with Master Skywalker every five minutes-"

"Hey!" Kyp feigned an offended expression, pointing a defensive finger at Jaina. "It's been two days since our last fight!"

Jaina ignored his jest. "But you've changed. You're past that and I think she'd rather remember the old you if it's any excuse to save me from another relationship. She . . . worries about me."

"Well, you were her last remaining child for- a while. I can't blame her. For any of it! What about Han?"

Jaina tried not to make a face. "He is . . . taking it in stride. You know that you're a friend to him? He's trying to be the protective daddy who won't let his little girl get hurt but it's you and he trusts you. It throws him off his game."

Kyp frowned. "Am I supposed to apologize for that?"

Jaina chuckled silently and sauntered back to where Kyp stood. Her hands wandered up his front and he took them in his own. "Don't apologize," she said. "This is good, don't you think? Neither of my parents hate you! This is new to me; they both hated Jag."

"I agree with them."

With a comically sour grin, Jaina rounded up for a playful punch but stopped. She dropped her arm. "No, I think I'm starting to see the light."

"Now we just wait for the imminent doom."

"Doom?"

"Yes. We are the catalyst, are we not? First, Jacen dies. Next, Anakin comes back. Now, I'm in a relationship with their only daughter. Your parents are tough but they have to have a breaking point."

"I don't know. I can't remember the last time something as positive as my dead brother coming back to life has happened in our family. I'm not sure that counts."

Kyp shook his head, doubtful. "I think it's inevitable. While it's an amazing thing that's happening, are you and your parents really ready to deal with everything when Anakin wakes up? Telling him everything that's happened since the Myrkr mission. Jacen- wasn't Jacen anymore, Tahiri became severely depressed, then joined up with a Sith Lord, Mara died. You had to kill Jacen."

As Kyp silently predicted, Jaina jumped to take the offense, her eyes already lighting with the unmatched flames of fury. "That wasn't my brother! That was Caedus!"

Kyp held her close, gently, to reassure and soothe her. "Jay, I get that but will Anakin?" Jaina took a breath and stepped back as she understood where Kyp was going. "Not likely." She nodded. "I keep telling myself that this isn't going to be as simple or even happy as it looks, but I still don't think I get it. None of us do. If any of us have the slightest clue as to how excruciating this will be, I'd put my credits on Tahiri."

"I think she's accustomed herself to always living in a constant state of suffering," Kyp agreed. "What she feels now is the same numbing anxiety she's felt since Anakin died."

"Which means that there's no way out of this eternal battle shock."

"There is no cure. No respite. Not with everything that's happened to your family in the past several decades. There are too many ghosts, too many wounds. Even getting Anakin back can't erase all that pain."

It was one of the highest truths Jaina had come to acknowledge. While she could see the coming joy that the return of her little brother would bring the Solo family, Jaina was not dumb enough to ignore the struggle that would come with it. The Vong War had forced her to grow up quickly and Anakin's death had been the catalyst of her transformation from the young girl who dreamed of flying for Rogue Squadron to the battle-weary woman who had helped win the war- the mock Trickster goddess, the Sword of the Jedi. That was a sister Anakin hadn't yet met.

 _Grandfather's downfall, my grandmother's unexplained death, Alderaan's demise, Jacen's downfall, Mara's sudden death, the death I planned and delivered to Caedus. None of it will ever leave us. These tragedies will always haunt our family for generations on._

Jaina's dark thoughts were interrupted by the ring of her comm. She sighed, unclipping it from her belt and pressing the answering key. "Solo."

"Jaina," her father quickly answered. "Your mom's driving herself mad. If her Force instincts are to be trusted- I think your brother's awake."

* * *

Though he'd only visited Eclipse Base's medward a few times, he was sure this wasn't it. Though, it was, quite clearly, a medroom. Just what facility, he had no idea.

Anakin allowed himself a moment's rest while his eyes adjusted to the blinding light before he tried looking around more. When he couldn't find any valuable clues, he pitted his elbows against the bed and pushed himself into a sitting position with too much effort. Groaning in pain, he only managed to pull himself up a little before he gave up. He fell back against the mattress, panting and huffing from the effort and the pain it shot up his side.

He glanced to his right where there was a viewport looking to a sunny outside; Eclipse's medrooms didn't have viewports. Decorating the viewport's sill were dozens upon dozens of vases of flowers, cards, gift baskets. 'Get well soon!', 'Welcome back!' and 'We've missed you!' were written excitedly on each one.

Between Anakin's bed and the viewport sat a reclining chair with a white Jedi robe slung over the top and a blanket draped along its stretched length. There was nothing else of note. He dropped his head back, still grimacing from the pain in his side. He clutched a hand to the spot, now holding his side above his hip. _Right,_ he remembered with another grimace. That _wound._

"Relax," a soft and soothing voice suddenly broke through Anakin's awareness and he looked up to see a pale, shaking, _frightened_ Chadra'Fan standing just inside the doorway. "Please lie back down. You were critically injured and your body requires rest to heal."

"Tekli?" his voice squeaked.

"Anakin," the small creature gasped. "You need to relax."

Realizing he wouldn't get anywhere if he didn't first obey, Anakin relaxed into the mattress and let his limbs hang limp. "Tekli? Where are we? What happened?"

Slowly, his friend seemed to relax just the tiniest bit as she approached his bedside. She carried a flimsipad on one arm but set it down and held his gaze, offering little comfort to his fears and worries.

"Anakin, what is the last thing you remember?"

He blinked. "Myrkr. The mission to Myrkr. I feel like it was just seconds ago I was there. And you! You were Tesar." His heart leapt to his throat. "Is Tesar okay?"

Tekli's head fell a few degrees to the side as she slowly nodded. "Yes. Tesar is fine."

Anakin looked around again. "It's been longer than a minute since we were on Myrkr, hasn't it?"

The somber, quiet Chadra'Fan actually laughed. It was brief, alarmed and hushed, but it was there and it startled Anakin. Wearing a faint smile, she nodded. "Yes, Anakin. We are no longer on Myrkr."

"Then, where are we?" he asked urgently. "What happened? What happened to the team? The mission? Is everyone okay? Did we- did we . . ." Anakin's throat locked up on him, too thick with fear and questions he didn't want to ask to speak any more. What had happened since that last harrowing moment he remembered? Why were they no longer on Myrkr? How long had it been? Had they been successful? Or had his team been overwhelmed by the Yuuzhan Vong forces and had been defeated by them? Was the galaxy now living under Vong rule? He imaged planets greener than Felucia but overtaken with Vong forestry, living ships, living armor, no droids, no technology. What had happened? How long had it been? The same questions burned through Anakin, igniting every cell in his body with more and more fear. _A Jedi knows not these things,_ Anakin heard his uncle's voice quoting Master Yoda in his head and he forced himself to take in a long, calming breath. He looked to his arm where a fluid drip was attached, listened to the soft beeping of monitors behind him. Technology. So, Vong couldn't be anywhere near. "Tekli," his voice shuddered. "What happened?"

"Everything is fine," she promised, her smiling growing into something more comforting. Anakin managed to relax a bit more. "Perhaps, you would now value the comfort of family to assure you." She retreated back to the door, cracking it open but not enough for Anakin to see out. His heart beat steadily, anxiously against his chest. His mind was racing with fear, cluttering his head. He scorned himself for his uncharacteristic panic but couldn't deny that the Force seemed to be buzzing- _differently._ Something was off. Something wasn't right and it set Anakin on edge. _What happened? What happened to you, Anakin? What happened on Myrkr? What happened while I was out?_

He was so caught up in his panic, in his fear, that it wasn't until they were already in his room that Anakin's attention was drawn to three very familiar Force presences. His parents and his sister. Of course, they were familiar, but they all felt- _different_ too. He tried to push all the doubt away. His heart swelled with relief at the familiarity and he smiled before he brought his gaze up to see three people he hardly recognized. There was his father, but he looked older, more haggard, more weary. His eyes were softer than Anakin had ever seen them and he swallowed thickly when Anakin met his gaze. His mother stood right at Han Solo's side, her hand in his, but she almost looked like a completely different person. He recognized the woman as his mother by her loving and warm eyes but was thrown off by the foreignness of her hair being cut to her shoulders with more shots of gray than Anakin remembered. Even her eyes bore a soberness that disconcerted him- a pain that seemed to be buried deep within the woman, simply emanating from a dark place that hadn't been there the last time Anakin had hugged her. Then, finally, there was Jaina. His big sister appeared appallingly older. Though she still brimmed with life and many more years ahead of her, she looked older in a mature way, in a physical way. Besides that, she looked much more mature in the other way as well. Like a spark of wisdom had suddenly come upon her. She didn't look like the teenaged older sister Anakin remembered. She looked like a battle-weary soldier who had learned to live with the life that had been handed to her. They _all_ looked so much- older, wearier, simultaneously emptier and fuller. No, these couldn't be his parents, couldn't be his big sister.

"Anakin!" His mother was the first to break the odd silence that had descended upon the moment and Anakin relaxed his confused, perturbed expression to look at her more gently, letting his relief triumph the chaos his mind refused to let go. Tears dripped down her cheeks and her jaw shook with silenced sobs before she let go of her husband's hand to step forward, then run to his side and throw her arms around him. Then, she just became hysteric. "Anakin! My baby!" she sobbed, squeezing him in her arms, one hand wrapped tightly around the back of his head. Her other arm had come around his back and was caught tightly around him. Too tight. He relished the warm feeling of being cuddled in his mother's arms but his body flared with pain that he had forgotten and couldn't help the yowl that followed. Leia jumped back, her eyes frantic, crazed. She raised a hand to her mouth, fresh tears leaking from her eyes. Only then did Han and Jaina slowly come to her side.

Tekli hurried forward from behind them. She was playing with his fluid drip while Leia took a hesitant step forward again. "I'm so sorry," she murmured.

Anakin shook his head. "It's fine, Mom." Immediately following his reassurance, he thought he heard her squeal. "I'm fine."

His parents and sister all looked to each other to trade a nervous look.

"I gave you a minor painkiller," Tekli was now telling him, drawing his attention away from the three unfamiliar figures at his other side. "If I gave you anything heavier, I would be worried about you not being very lucid. I think your questions deserve answers."

Anakin acknowledged the note with a short nod, quickly looking back to his family, trying to make everything make sense. His parents and sister, looking so much older, like so much of life had passed without Anakin. Their demeanors. And, hey- where was Jacen? Without meaning to, Anakin made that last question verbal. The looks of his family only grew more shocked. "Mom? Dad?" he asked, his voice quivering, losing the strength he usually maintained. Something was wrong. Something was off. "What happened? Where are we? What happened?"

Leia's gaze softened and she returned to his side, walking around the bed to take a seat beside him. She took his hand and grasped it between both of her own. Han sat with her and Jaina pulled a seat beside them. They all stared at him like he was a ticking detonator on display.

Was something really off about Anakin's surroundings? Or was it something about _himself_ that was off?

"I'll leave you all so you can talk," Tekli said and quickly slipped out.

Anakin immediately turned his gaze back to his family. "Mom? Dad? Jaina? Please say something."

Anakin looked to his father who, along with his mother, was crying. The sight unnerved him further. "Hey, kid," he whispered, reaching out to gently squeeze Anakin's unharmed shoulder. "We've missed you."

"Missed me?" he frowned in confusion. "Did I almost die?"

Jaina coughed harshly. Leia flinched. Han stiffened.

"Mom!" Anakin shouted with more force. "Dad! You have to tell me. What happened? How long have I been out?"

Jaina slowly eased forward in her seat, daring to meet his gaze. Her own eyes were soft- soft for the hard-edged, tough sister he knew. "Anakin. What's the last thing you remember?"

As he'd told Tekli, he patiently repeated to Jaina, "Myrkr. The grashal."

"What else? Tell me everything that was happening."

Anakin swallowed on a desert dry throat. "Raynar is gone. Lomi and Welk- they- they're gone. Tesar was out. Tekli was trying to wake him. You and Tahiri didn't want me to go. But I insisted. You were angry at me for going. And Tahiri. Tahiri was-" He couldn't find the words so he shook his head and continued. "I saw Nom Anor. I threw a detonator his way, pushed it to a cargo pod. . . ." He stopped there.

"And?"

Anakin's gaze flicked back up to meet Jaina's. "I . . ."

"If you remember, tell me."

"I don't . . ."

"You remember. You know what happened."

Anakin shook his head, his chest locking up with pain as he tried to force those last seconds back.

"Anakin," Jaina spoke his name quietly but firmly. "You tell me what happened."

"I was one with the Force." He heard his mother suddenly utter a shrill sob and she covered her face with her hands as Han wrapped her up in his arms. "The Yuuzhan Vong practically disintegrated when I passed."

"And then?"

"After I pushed the detonator . . . I don't remember. That was . . . the end."

"The end of what?"

Anakin blinked. "I don't know." He sighed. "Jaina, what happened after that? What happened to everyone else? Where are we? This can't be Eclipse."

* * *

Jaina raised a hand to calm him and began, "We're on Shedu Maad. It's- a new base for the Jedi." Well, that wasn't a lie. "The mission is over." _This isn't a mission,_ she remembered her father saying when Anakin had first proposed his plan to go to Myrkr and kill the voxyn queen. _It's a sacrifice._ Jaina added bitterly, _the mission was accomplished, the sacrifice made. We paid in full, with too much blood._

"And?" Anakin was pressing her.

She blinked, trying to accustom herself to the grown-up version of her brother sitting before her, freshly minted a veteran since his death. It was wrong. She almost cried. "We won, Little Brother."

"The mission?" He frowned at what he thought to just be odd word choice.

She shook her head. "The war." Anakin's frown deepened. "The war is over, Anakin. We won it for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Anakin . . . You died." Jaina watched his gaze move to their mother who was caught in their father's arms, shaking, sobbing. "Mom, Uncle Luke, me and Jacen. We all felt you go. I know, it sounds insane but it happened. And we had to live through that. You died, Anakin. When Nom Anor was watching your detonator, you died. We brought your body with us when we left. We held your funeral on Hapes. Uncle Luke put your body on the funeral pyre. You were dead, Anakin."

She saw the conflict flash across Anakin's face- the confusion, fear, hesitance all painted clearly. He shook his head, a small movement so quick Jaina nearly missed it. He opened his mouth, exhaled, but no words came. Jaina didn't have any either.

Leia leaned toward her son and held his face in one hand. "I had to mourn you," she explained, stroking her thumb along his stubbled cheek. "And that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. My boy. My baby boy. But you're back. You're home again."

He shook his head. "I don't understand. This doesn't make any sense. I-"

"None of us understand," Han told him. "None of us have been able to make sense of this. All we know is we lost you so long ago but now you're back and we aren't wasting that."

"It's a lot," Leia admitted. "Maybe you'd like to hear what's happened since Myrkr first?"

"Like what?"

"Well, is there anything in particular you want to know?"

It was hardly a moment's breath before Anakin responded with his first question. "How long has it been?"

Leia swallowed but supplied the answer. "Anakin, it's 41 ABY. It's been 14 years since the Myrkr mission."

His face dropped. "No," he managed to mutter. "No. No, the mission was just- just . . ."

"Anakin," Leia tried to soothe.

"That's impossible!"

"Anakin."

Jaina's gaze flicked from Anakin's fearful eyes to the monitors above his bed to her mother's concerned gaze and touch.

"Anakin, honey, please-"

One of the monitors started to bleep and Leia shot to her feet. She laid her hand against Anakin's cheek and even Jaina felt the sudden rush of love, reassurance, and relief which their mother was sending to Anakin. Against her efforts, the warm feelings filled the room, becoming the mother's new aura rather than the focused stream she was trying to channel. It still held the same effect and Jaina couldn't help but relax, shed the tension weighing down her shoulders as she felt the gentle onslaught of her mother's love for her and her brother.

Despite all this, however, Anakin's distress was growing. Unintentionally, he was fighting back against Leia's efforts and his fear was overcoming his mother's love. Jaina saw the strain of concentration mixed with worry in her mother's brows, saw how they knitted together with her own fear. " _Anakin."_ Her voice was firm, but her touch grew lighter, fingers feather brushing against his face. To aid her, Jaina made it a meld and joined Leia in calming Anakin. Then, she saw what method her mother was turning to rely on. It was memories- of Anakin.

Sensing the renewed strength of Leia's assurances, Jaina thought she'd have the upper hand but Anakin's panic was wearing on her and she came to the start of defeat when Jaina gently shoved her mother aside, pressed a few fingers to her brother's temple, and summoned him to sleep. At once, his head slouched back against the pillows and his eyelids fell shut. Leia and Jaina stepped back in the same moment, the mother nearly panting.

"Well," Jaina said shortly, "we weren't ready for that at all."  
"He just needs time."

"No, Mom. What he needs is the truth. And soon. I think there's nothing better we could do for him than just hit him over the head with it."

"No! It's been over a decade and he thinks the Myrkr mission was just yesterday. I can't do that to him!"

"How long will it take to gently ease him into everything? It'll hardly take him a day to start wondering where Aunt Mara and Jacen are."

"Leia, she has a point," Han tenderly said, still sitting behind her. "He needs to know soon. I don't think there's any gentle way of easing him in."

Jaina didn't want to be harsh, but she tried to convey her point straightly, firmly. "He needs to know what happened to Tahiri, what happened to Aunt Mara, what happened to Jacen. It isn't going to be painless but we need to get it over with."

Leia allowed herself the shortest sigh before she nodded once. "You're right. But I'm not going to throw anything on him at once. We'll let him ask and we'll tell him the truth."

Jaina nodded back. "I think that's the only good way to go about this."

* * *

The next time Anakin woke, his mom was the only one in his room. Leia Organa Solo sat at her son's bedside and Anakin laughed to himself when he realized that his mother was tousling his hair slowly, playing with his curls between her fingers. When she saw that he was awake, she smiled gently, moving her hand to brush over the long waves. "Good morning."

He groaned, waking himself to full awareness. "Morning?"

"Dad brought you breakfast from the cafeteria if you're ready."

Anakin nodded and Leia stood to help him sit up. With much effort on both their parts, Anakin came to sit up straight and Leia pulled a tray over his lap and set down a plastistill box. She opened it for him, took out the fork which came in its own wrapper. She poked it through the packaging and set it in box, mixing the crunchy greens that sat beside a standard cafeteria gorba melt. "You looked like you were in a lot of pain making just the smallest movements," she noted gently as Anakin began lifting his arm and winced. "Cilghal wants to know how badly it hurts."

"I'm alright, Mom. It's not that bad."

Leia didn't seem eager to take that answer, however. She looked at him for a moment, her brown-eyed gaze flashing with empathy. She sighed, taking his fork and cutting his food into small portions. "When Jaina came back from Myrkr, I needed to hear about it. I felt your pain before you died but I needed to hear from Jaina how bad it was. When I saw your body- I didn't want to think about your last moments. I didn't want to think about how awful it was."

Anakin's ear caught at those words- this was his mother's own testimony of his death. She _felt_ it. And if anyone had it would have been her. Leia seemed to notice his reaction because she looked back up to smile uneasily at him. "I felt it, Anakin. I'd been praying that I would never have to feel that in my life and it hurt so bad when I did."

"No promises," he muttered with less bitterness than one would have expected.

His mother actually laughed, but with less amusement. "No, no promises. You know that Dad and I couldn't have been prouder of you? We never stopped crying, mourning over you but we were always the proudest parents when the HoloNet had remembrance stories on you. You died a hero, Anakin. I always knew you were destined for something bigger than I could imagine."

"I didn't want to hurt you and Dad by going to Myrkr."

"We know. Honey, when you died- the part that hurt your father the worst was that he was afraid he might have hurt you when he shot down your plan at Eclipse. If that had been one of his last conversations with you . . ."

"I know that he was only worried about-" He stopped abruptly, his own heart tearing in empathy for his father- both of his parents. Despite what little his family had told him earlier, it was sinking in and Anakin was coming to realize the truth of it. Nom Anor. The detonator. Then everything just stopped, was no more. That had been the end. The end of his life. "Losing us."

Leia didn't respond. Finished preparing his meal, she set the fork in the container and set it on his tray. "There. Eat up."

Anakin couldn't ignore the rumbling in his stomach, begging for something to fill it, but he was hardly in the mood to eat. A thousand questions still littered his head. His last memories being of his friends locked in a frantic battle, in pain, hurting, in fear, morale low-key he needed to know what had happened. Forget his own resurrection, he just wanted to know how the mission had gone after his eyes had closed. He needed to know if they'd really won, if Tesar had woken up, where Raynar had gone, if anyone else had fallen. Had any other lives been lost executing his _brilliant_ plan? How much death had he caused?

And Tahiri. Where was she now? How was she? Was she okay? How was she handling the effects of her uncompleted Shaping? She'd had a hard enough time when Anakin had stayed with her to help her heal. Had she healed?

And, he supposed, what had happened to the galaxy, to his family over 14 years?

All these questions, fears, locked up inside of him. He needed to know, couldn't wait another moment to ask. He needed to know _right now._ Anakin was preparing to ask about the outcome of the Myrkr mission but surprised even himself when her name was the first thing to spring to and from his lips. "Tahiri," he said, quickly, suddenly, breathlessly. Startled, Leia's gaze returned to him with a flick. She straightened up, leaning forward slightly. "Tahiri," he repeated as the impact hit him head-on. Of course, the mission's outcome mattered greatly to Anakin and he feared what other losses and struggles had befallen the team, but his chest and throat locked up in fear for the fate of his best friend- no, the young woman he'd been falling in love with. As soon as he admitted that to himself, a hundred more fears clogged his mind and he wondered in anxiety, _had she moved on, discarded their last years together as a first crush, left all those memories of nervous kisses and childhood friendship coming to mean something more?_ Anakin didn't think he could handle that. He missed her, yearned to see her, know for a fact that she was unharmed. He needed her.

 _No- for that, you have to come back._ Her tears dissolved him.

 _Take her, Jacen. Kiss Tahiri for me._

His eyes began to sting while he waited in heavy anticipation for his mom to respond but he hardly cared, hardly even connected the dots to realize that he was on the verge of tears in his fear.

Leia's mouth fell open in empathy and she reached out to brush a thin trail of tears from his cheek. "Tahiri," he managed to get out one more time, his voice rough and thick with his grief. For a moment, Anakin thought she was all that mattered.

His mother got up from her chair slowly, nodding. She left a kiss on his forehead and said, "Hang on. I'll be right back," before quickly fleeing from the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** 'Tis here! Another chapter! Now, the italics in the last part are all quoted from New Jedi Order: Force Heretic II P: Refugee and III: Reunion. The referenced quote at the end comes from New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory I: Conquest. Thanks to everyone for reading!

* * *

The steady thump of his heart seemed to be echoing in her ear, making her drum beat in time with it. Or, was that the mysterious pounding in her heart? No matter where it was coming from, it was with her and it refused to leave. She shouldn't have felt haunted by it but she did because the prospect of going to see Anakin was just too daunting. She wasn't ready, but would she ever be?  
Corran, Mirax, Han, and Jaina all sat crowded around her, coercing her but gently. She heard their assurances, comforts, promising her everything would change when she saw him again. And part of her believed that. She brought to mind the future she'd imagined for herself so many times, even before Anakin had died. It was a future that was intertwined with Anakin's, half belonging to him. It was _their_ future, to live together. She let it go only that far, trying to imaging that still playing out, but she couldn't. Something was different, too different. It was her- and she was sure that that future was not possible when Anakin didn't know who she was anymore. He'd held her together after her Shaping, but without him- she'd fallen apart. She was no longer the Tahiri he would remember nor Riina but something just as ugly and even more depressing. How was she supposed to introduce that person to Anakin? Besides that, Tahiri wouldn't what to do when she saw him. Unconscious Anakin was one thing, but when he was awake- she was already predicting the overwhelming onslaught of feelings that would bring up. It was too much and her mind was racing with the overload.

"How is she feeling?" She became aware of Leia's presence joining the group and her whispered question to her husband. She couldn't draw herself out of this abyss, though.

Han sighed. "You might want to try talking to her."

 _That_ Tahiri could manage. Talking to Leia had always been easier. In the earlier days following Anakin's fall, she'd recognized the dark feel to Leia's aura, the way the Force ebbed with a pain that would never fade, a wound that would never scab over and fully heal. In those days, she'd empathized with that hollowness. She still did, now just empathizing with the scar that was left over. Tahiri had one too, a scar nearly identical to the one Anakin's mother wore. She could talk to Han and Leia. It was the large group looking in from the outside that set Tahiri on edge. But Han and Leia were family. Not the closest thing she had, but _family._

Leia sat beside her and must have waved the others away because it was only a few seconds before Tahiri was left alone with just the two Solos. "He's asking about you," were Leia's first words and Tahiri's heart skipped a beat. Two, three. She forced herself to suck in a breath and her heart restarted. "He's worried about you. He wants to know that you're okay."

"What did you tell him?" Tahiri managed to squeak out. Her throat was tightening against the tears she was holding back.

Leia hesitated. "I probably didn't handle it like I should have. My first thought was to come get you. Tahiri, he needs to see you."

"He wants to see someone that I no longer am."

"And how do you know that won't get back a piece of your old self once you see Anakin again?"  
"Because Anakin is in no position to anchor me like he did after Yavin."

Leia shrugged. "Who knows? All I know is that you're scared- and I get that! But Anakin wants to see you and you've been waiting for this kind of healing since he died. Nothing could heal you like this. You miss Anakin and now he's back. I know it's scary but, Tahiri . . . he's here!"

 _Everything I want back. The desired antidote to my miserable existence. The end to my depression just open for the taking. Seems too wonderful to really work._

But the hum of Anakin's revived and healing aura pulled at her like a tractor beam, slowly reeling her in. She could almost see him, almost delusion herself enough to see his icy tender eyes staring at her with an unmatched warmth already. The idea of cheating death, cheating the Vong and everything that happened on Myrkr was just too appetizing. And all of a sudden, Tahiri felt like the young girl she'd been back then, sucked back to that time. She was young, still hanging on to hope, a hope stored in a boy who wasn't quite yet a man but whom she was falling in love with. Her best friend. It had been so long since she'd been able to claim such an innocence; she'd lost that as soon as the Vong had found her on Yavin IV and begun her Shaping. Then, her young and naive self had forever disappeared. But Anakin had saved her from that- saved her from Riina, from the monster the Vong had built inside of her, from the torture she'd suffered at their hands. He'd built her back up, built her a new shell to protect her from all that pain. However, all of that had fallen down, been crushed, the moment Anakin breathed his last.

 _This can be a new beginning, a new start, a revival of everything that was before. Before the Vong, before the Shaper, before Myrkr._ The thought was just too delightful, too wonderful, too- _perfect._ And nothing so good had happened to her in too long; Tahiri had forgotten what it felt like to have hope. And to be happy.

Her tears fell off her cheeks, collecting in her open palms- she'd held them in fists for so long. Tahiri fell to her knees and Han and Leia caught her, held her, _embraced_ her, reminding her that they were her family, that they'd always been, that they always would be. That embrace was everything to Tahiri.

Her tears now dripping steadily from the corners of her eyes, she managed to squeak out, "I need to see him."

Leia nodded and lifted her up for a proper hug. Tahiri melted into the reassuring gesture but was lost in her own world, her own whirling thoughts and she hardly realized it as Han and Leia took positions at her sides, gently and slowly guiding her down the hall. It was hardly even a blur to her. All that she was aware of was herself, her feet taking shaky, hesitant steps and Han and Leia's arms holding onto her. Until _he_ found her. She immediately noticed his familiar touch reaching out to her in the Force as he became aware of her presence. His touch was filled with such an excitement, relief- and then a muffled fear. Tahiri figured this to be the moment he recognized the difference in her. But then his fear suddenly vanished and all Tahiri sensed from him was- another feeling she hadn't felt in so long: the feeling of being reunited with her best friend. It was warm and freshly thrilling, like the sudden rush that came with a double-shot of spice in a cup of caf. Or, that sparkling high once a dose of glitterstim kicked in for an addict. It was still there; she was still consciously aware of it as the hug caught her attention. It was warm, assuring, like when you don't expect new times to feel like old times. She felt his embrace before her feet got ahead of herself and she broke free of the Solos' hold. Her palm planted flatly against a cool entry pad.  
And there he was.

She swallowed, her stomach catching up with her, but then her body relaxed just as quickly. The expanse of her awareness beyond herself and Anakin turned to a fuzzy, dim background. She saw him sitting there and when his gentle, ice blue eyes turned to hold hers . . .

She felt free. Something in her released, loosening something that had been clenched too tightly for too long. It fell back into place. Tahiri couldn't think, couldn't register anything, but some of her feeling returned when she realized that she'd darted to his side, grabbed his face, and allowed her lips to speak without words. It didn't last long; it didn't need to. But once she broke the connection and took her first breath, consciousness was lost to her.

* * *

Anakin stared wide-eyed over the edge of his bed, registering the basic details first after this- _interesting_ reunion. Tahiri was out cold, lying in a lump on the floor. He looked up to his family. Leia looked shocked, worried, and hurried to the woman's side while Jaina was shocked but laughing. As for Anakin's father, Han was frowning, pulling credits out of his pocket and handing them over to Jaina. Leia caught this and scowled, tugging on the bottom of Han's pants. "Han! Help me!"

"Is she okay?" Anakin asked as Han and Leia carefully lifted Tahiri.

"She's out cold," Han reported and he carried her limp body across the room to lie in a reclining seat. "But she's okay."

"Well. That wasn't exactly the 'hi' that I was imagining," Anakin stated glumly.

Leia, who had only made it to the room in time to see Tahiri lying on the floor along with Jaina and Han, returned to her son's side and asked, "Did she say anything? Did _you_ say anything before she-?"

Anakin shook his head. His frown disappeared, replaced by a pure look of awe and worry. "No. No, she - came running in and . . . " He suddenly smiled. "She kissed me. And then she was out."

Nervous laughter bubbled quietly from Leia. She took a seat on the edge of Anakin's bunk, reaching out an arm to brush along his. "Anakin, what happened to you on Myrkr . . ."

"My _death."_

Leia nodded. "Your _death_ was really hard on Tahiri. I don't think it's in my place to really explain, but it was as hard on Tahiri as it was on us. It devastated her. She never got over it, Anakin. No matter how she further responds to all of this, I just want to make sure you know that. This isn't going to be easy for her either. These years since the strike team mission have been rough on her."

"You think I need to be warned?"

"I think that you're going to be startled when you start to see how hard it was on her."

"So, you're warning me."

Leia hesitated, though she knew it was true. Everything and everyone around Anakin was so new and Leia ached for him, didn't want him to become overwhelmed with how completely foreign it all was. Including Tahiri. Especially Tahiri. " . . . Yes."

* * *

Tahiri Veila's mind was a prison. She'd been living in a prison for fourteen years- since Anakin died. Since that time, she'd suffered periods of insanity, the prison gates closing and suddenly becoming a psychiatric ward. She was still familiar with the desperation that would sweep her over, the burning need for some kind of relief, a break. A step back from the reality she woke up every morning to. _Anakin is still gone._

Seeing Anakin now triggered memories of every desperate day she'd had.

 _Why am I alive when the one I love is dead?_

" _I_ _would never hurt either of you! You're my_ family _!"_

" _I didn't call you by your name, Tahiri. I called you Riina_."

" _Outwardly she_ seemed _okay; she appeared to be holding herself together."_

" _But then Anakin died, and that must have changed everything."_

" _Only Anakin's intervention had saved her."_

" _We are bound together, you and I. This is a fate we must accept."_

" _We have to help them learn to live together. We must teach them how to become one."_

" _I don't want to lose who I am."_

 _My guilt calls out to me. My love is dead, and I am alive. And I carry with me the kiss he wanted me to share with him. I told him to collect it later, but there_ was _no later. Was there?_

Was there a letter now? Was this the later that she'd been searching for? The one she'd foolishly believed Caedus could provide her in one trip of flow-walking? The later she'd desperately held onto hope for so many years.

Had 'later' finally come?

Tahiri came back to in an uncomfortable, medcenter chair. She looked up and Anakin was the first thing she saw. He wasn't looking at her; he was staring, watching her in anticipation. "Hi," he greeted softly. Her heart skipped a beat. Her throat locked up, rendering her of the ability to respond. Even if she could, she wouldn't know what to say. Too much time had gone by- time during which Tahiri had shed so many tears just imagining the last 14 years and the future she'd lost with Anakin. Now, however, later had come. And though the last 14 years were past her, the future was still open for the taking.

"Anakin." It was all she could manage, the only intelligible word her mind could muster. But he beamed at her in response. "Tahiri."

She blinked, completely and utterly lost for words. Thank goodness Anakin had become more talkative since they'd reunited on Yavin. Cracking a lopsided smile that made Tahiri's stomach flip, Anakin began talking- as if they hadn't lost 14 years together. "You look . . . different."

Tahiri allowed herself to breathe as she found her relief. Words- easy, simple, ironic and memory-filled words- came to her. "Older maybe? I'm 28 now. Last week."

"Happy birthday."

"You should have thought of it then, but thanks anyway. Dummy."

Now, Anakin's smile reached his eyes, illuminating his aura with pure and unrestrained joy.

The words of the old joke had come so easy to Tahiri and it surprised her so much that she actually laughed. It felt so good, so right. Another feeling she missed.

"You're, uh, still barefoot, I see."

Tahiri still remembered her next reply but her throat locked up again and her laughter and smile disappeared, replaced as she broke into hysteric sobs at his side. "Anakin! You have no idea what it means to see you again! How hard it's been!"

"Hey!" He seized her hand and held it still between his own. His grip was warm, not cold like it had been when Tahiri had held his hands aboard the _Trickster,_ on the way to Hapes. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm back."

Tahiri pressed his palm to her cheek.

"Somebody must have missed me if I earned a kiss for a 'welcome back'," he tried to joke.

"That was for the one I denied you on Myrkr. A thousand times, I could have killed myself over that."

Anakin's face drooped with his discouragement. "That isn't funny, Tahiri."

"I'm not trying to be funny."

Tahiri smiled for him. "Should we try again?"

Anakin reached for her hand back. "Come here."

Tahiri sat on the edge of Anakin's bunk, leaning forward, cautious not to hurt him. She drove straight in and was slightly startled when her mouth met his foreign thick beard. She chuckled, backing away. "I don't know if I can handle the beard, Solo."

"Well, deal with it for now and kiss me because you owe me a good one, Veila."

Freeing herself of every chain that had been holding down her heart, Tahiri obeyed and leaned in to give Anakin the kiss she'd spent 14 years dreaming of giving him.


End file.
